BBC presenter ‘who paid teenager £35k for sexually explicit pictures partied with bosses at an awards ceremony AFTER mother made complaint – as corporation comes under mounting pressure from MPs over its handling of scandal
- He reportedly drank champagne and dined with execs after allegations surfaced
- Top figures at BBC have been publicly denying they are involved in the scandal
The BBC presenter accused of paying a teenager more than £35,000 for sexually explicit images is said to have partied with bosses at an awards ceremony after the allegations were made against him, it has emerged.
Insiders claim the host enjoyed a champagne reception and a three-course meal alongside senior executives weeks after the alleged victim’s mother complained to the network.
A fellow party guest told the Mirror that it was ‘astonishing’ that someone facing ‘such serious allegations’ could attend the event, adding: ‘If this man was aware of what was hanging over him, he certainly didn’t show it.’
The presenter, who has not been named but is described as being well-known, allegedly began paying the teenager when they were 17, and sent them the money which they used to fund an addiction to crack cocaine.
The lurid speculation was sparked by a newspaper report that the youngster’s family had complained about the behaviour of the ‘household name’ seven weeks ago, but had been unhappy with the BBC response.
The presenter has reportedly been taken off air pending an investigation, but is said to be known to millions of people. He could face a police probe over potential crimes which carry a maximum 14-year prison sentence, it was revealed last night.
It comes as senior MPs are putting pressure on the BBC to reveal how it handled the allegations made against the host.
The BBC presenter accused of paying a teenager more than £35,000 for sexually explicit images is said to have partied with bosses at an awards ceremony after the allegations were made against him, it has emerged
The alleged victim’s mother says that the family complained to the BBC on May 19, asking for the presenter to be told to stop sending their child money.
It is claimed that even after the family complained, the star continued to send money and remained on air – before attending an awards even and partying with BBC bosses.
Weeks after the allegations were made against him, he rubbed shoulders with other celebrities at an elite venue, where he enjoyed a three-course dinner before the celebrations began, according to the Mirror.
A source told the paper: ‘It is astonishing someone accused of such serious allegations was able to attend an event like this.
‘The BBC had been made aware in the strongest possible terms of what this person is supposed to have done – and still they were able to go along, with colleagues in tow. It is very odd, to say the least.’
Mother of youth ‘paid £35k for sex pics by famous host’ tells of shock at ‘seeing lewd image of star’: CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
The Corporation today declined to comment on the reports that the host partied with bosses following the allegations.
Last night, the BBC also refused to confirm what, if any, action it had taken and whether it had confronted the presenter.
However, the star has not been suspended – although he is not currently scheduled to be on air.
The scandal comes as the Corporation faces new questions from MPs about the probe.
Former Home Secretary Priti Patel called the broadcaster’s treatment of the complaint ‘derisory’.
Ms Patel insisted the BBC ‘must provide the victim and his family a full and transparent investigation’.
She added: ‘The BBC, which is funded by licence fee payers, has become a faceless and unaccountable organisation.’
Fellow Conservative MP Paul Bristow said: ‘What is being suggested is incredibly serious. The BBC must be completely transparent on how it is dealing with this complaint. No ifs, no buts. They need to let the licence fee paying public know what they are doing and what they propose to do.’
Labour shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said the reports were ‘deeply concerning’.
She told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday show: ‘The idea that some presenters act with impunity and can get away with these sort of things, it does call into question the ethics, the investigations, how long these things take,
‘The BBC and other broadcasters do need to get a grip because we seem to lurch from one scandal to another and more needs to be done.’
Ms Reeves added there should be a ‘full investigation’ into the matter.
‘That’s the concerning thing, someone makes a complaint – a very serious complaint – and then they’re put on the TV the next night and they’re still there,’ she said.
‘That’s not good enough, that’s not treating people, victims, with respect and that’s why there needs to be a full investigation.’
Government minister Victoria Atkins, the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, told Sky News: ‘These are very, very serious allegations and the BBC have said they have processes in places.
‘But I think as public attention and concern grows, the BBC is going to have to act very swiftly to deal with these allegations and set out what they are going to investigate them.’
Ms Atkins said she could ‘quite understand the public concern’ about the allegations.
She backed a call by ex-home secretary Priti Patel for a ‘full and transparent’ investigation by the BBC.
‘It may well be that happens in due course,’ she added.
‘With allegations of this kind, we as a Government have worked very hard over the years to try to help complainants of very serious allegations both in the criminal courts and with the police.
‘And I would expect other institutions that have responsibilities with the public to have similar high standards.’
Senior BBC figures are understood to be anxious to avoid accusations of inaction, the claim levelled at ITV chiefs over its handling of the Phillip Schofield scandal.
Corporation sources said they were aware some stars were being wrongly linked to the claims but would only say: ‘We are fully aware of this and it will be dealt with internally.’
Under the Protection of Children Act 1978, it is an offence to ‘make, distribute, possess or show any indecent images of anyone aged under 18’ – even if it was created with the young person’s consent.
It is also a criminal offence to ask a child under 18 to send a sexual image of themselves – and causing or inciting sexual exploitation of a child carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison.
Making or possessing indecent images carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.
The BBC star was said to have been taken off air on Friday – but has not been suspended, the Sun reports
One of the UK’s top lawyers Nazir Afzal (pictured) has questioned why the BBC didn’t act sooner
The explicit messages are said to have started in 2020. The family said the star did not hide his identity and even sent photographs to the teen while he was at work.
He would allegedly request ‘performances’ from the teenager, who told their mother they would then ‘get their bits out’.
On one occasion, he sent the teenager a lump sum of £5,000.
The mother told the Sun their child went from a ‘happy-go-lucky youngster to a ghost-like crack addict’ in just three years.
The teenager’s mother said she once heard the BBC star telling them: ‘I told you not to f***ing ring me’.
She said her relationship with her child has always been close, and that they have previously confided when the man has sent them money.
READ MORE: Panicking BBC bosses in crisis talks over star presenter sleaze scandal: Priti Patel calls corporation’s initial probe into allegations ‘derisory’ as row grows – and Director-General must face the press on Tuesday
The teen’s mother told the Sun last night she used to ‘love’ watching the presenter, and was left ‘shocked’ to see a photograph of him in his underwear on the sofa of his house while looking at her child’s phone.
‘I immediately recognised him. He was leaning forward getting ready for my child to perform for him. My child told me, “I have shown things” and this was a picture from some kind of video call.’
But now the stricken mother says: ‘Whenever I see him on telly, I feel sick.
She believes nothing was done and said the man continued to send her child cash as he remained on air.
The BBC has appeared to suggest the family did not respond to them when they tried to pursue an investigation. But one of the country’s top lawyers has questioned why they did not act sooner.
Nazir Afzal, who prosecuted the Rochdale grooming gang, told the Times last night he was ‘surprised that this person was not suspended once [the BBC] became aware of the gravity of the allegation.’
He continued: ‘The police should have been engaged as soon as they worked out whether the complaint was genuine.
‘Where are we now – the middle of July? Six, seven weeks on. They should have advised the police that this is a matter that they should be investigating, and that should have been done weeks ago.
‘There’s no justification for the police not having become involved as early as possible.’
Several major BBC stars have been quick to confirm they are not the man behind the scandal. Rylan Clark, Jeremy Vine and Gary Lineker have all denied they are involved.
It follows the revelation yesterday that the unnamed presenter had been allegedly paying the teen, who is now 20, for explicit photographs for three years.
The distraught mother told how their child was using the money, which was said to have been deposited in their bank account in hundreds or even thousands at a time, to fund their ‘spiralling’ crack cocaine addiction.
The mother told The Sun on Sunday: ‘We just wanted the BBC to tell him to stop. I’ve had three years of hell. The impact of this has been terrifying.’
She continued: ‘In my mind that man was supplying the crack. My child wouldn’t have access to this money if it wasn’t for him. If it goes on then my child is going to wind up dead. Putting this out to the public is the only way to stop it.’
She previously told the paper she feels ‘sick’ whenever she sees the presenter on television, and blames him for ‘destroying my child’s life’.
The star, said to be known to millions, allegedly requested ‘performances’ from the teenager, who used the cash to fund their spiralling drug habit.
Jeremy Vine (pictured) also distanced himself from the allegations on Saturday
Rylan Clark was one of three high-profile names to deny his involvement on Saturday
This evening, Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker, became the third prominent BBC presenter to distance himself from reports that a top BBC star paid a vulnerable teenager £35,000 for sexual pictures that the youngster used to buy crack cocaine
Dame Carol Dinenage, chair of the Culture, Media and Sports Committee said: ‘The BBC clearly has some very serious questions to answer.
‘It’s vital that TV companies have in place the right systems and processes to ensure their stars, who have disproportionate power and influence over the lives and careers of others, don’t abuse it.’
It comes as major BBC celebrities have stated publicly they are not the presenter being investigated.
This evening, Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker, became the third prominent BBC presenter to say they were not the BBC star facing the serious accusations.
At just after 7pm, the football pundit tweeted: ‘Hate to disappoint the haters but it’s not me.’
Earlier on Saturday, Rylan, who has presented on BBC Radio Two among a string of other work, was the first to declare he was not the host in question.
He wrote: ‘Not sure why my names floating about but re that story in The Sun – that ain’t me babe.
‘I’m currently filming a show in Italy for the BBC, so take my name out ya mouths.’
Vine then also distanced himself from the claims, adding: Just to say I’m very much looking forward to hosting my radio show on Monday — whoever the ‘BBC Presenter’ in the news is, I have the same message for you as Rylan did earlier: it certainly ain’t me.’
Nicky Campbell appeared to suggest he had contacted police about being mentioned in connection with the story.
READ MORE: From Savile to Schofield – the TV legends who fell from grace – and could be about to be joined by Presenter X
He tweeted a screenshot which featured the Metropolitan Police logo and the words: “Thank you for contacting the Metropolitan Police Service to report your crime.”
In his tweet, he wrote: “I think it’s important to take a stand. There’s just too many of these people on social media. Thanks for your support friends.”
The BBC’s culture editor Katie Razzall said the presenter’s continued presence on its content after a serious allegation was made ‘leads to questions about what steps the Corporation took after the complaint.’
She said many questions were still unanswered, including how the investigation was undertaken and if it was appropriate for the unnamed presenter to remain on air following the allegation.
BBC News entertainment correspondent Lizo Mzimba yesterday said that the unnamed presenter will not appear on air in the near future.
He told the BBC News channel: ‘We understand that the presenter is currently not scheduled to be on air in the near future.’
A BBC spokesperson told MailOnline on Friday: ‘We treat any allegations very seriously and we have processes in place to proactively deal with them.
‘As part of that, if we receive information that requires further investigation or examination, we will take steps to do this.
‘That includes actively attempting to speak to those who have contacted us in order to seek further detail and understanding of the situation.
‘If we get no reply to our attempts or receive no further contact that can limit our ability to progress things but it does not mean our enquiries stop.
‘If, at any point, new information comes to light or is provided — including via newspapers — this will be acted upon appropriately, in line with internal processes.’
Source: Read Full Article
