Police launch probe after receiving report of ‘malicious communication’ over social media post after BBC stars including Nicky Campbell and Jeremy Vine were accused of being presenter ‘who paid teen 35k for explicit photos’
- Gary Lineker, Nicky Campbell and Rylan Clark stated they are not the presenter
Scotland Yard today confirmed that it will investigate ‘malicious communications’ on social media falsely accusing BBC stars of being the household name who allegedly gave a teenager £35,000 for explicit pictures.
Nicky Campbell has spoken out about his ‘distressing weekend’ being the target of trolls who have incorrectly pointed the finger at him.
Mr Campbell is in contact with the police and also instructed lawyers in case he sues for defamation over any tweets and Facebook posts erroneously naming him as the suspect.
Gary Lineker, Jeremy Vine and Rylan Clark have also felt compelled to publicly rule themselves out after social media users wrongly speculated they were the star in question. Others including BBC Breakfast host Jon Kay have been forced to tweet statements insisting they are on holiday – not suspended – as critics called on the BBC to name the man at the centre of the scandal.
Confirming police involvement following Mr Campbell’s complaint, a statement from the Metropolitan Police said: ‘On Saturday July 8, police received a report of malicious communication in relation to a post on social media. An investigation is under way and inquiries are ongoing. There have been no arrests.’
It came as the Metropolitan Police said it is undertaking further enquiries after meeting the BBC about allegations that an unnamed presenter paid a teenager for sexually explicit images – but added there is currently no investigation while they ‘establish whether there is evidence of a criminal offence being committed’.
Introducing his BBC Radio 5 Live show on Monday, Mr Campbell said he’d had a ‘distressing weekend’
Jeremy Vine has threatened legal action against a slew of Twitter trolls after they falsely accused him of being the BBC presenter who allegedly paid a teenager £35,000 for sexually explicit images
Mr Vine advised Mr Plumb that he had ‘passed screenshots of your messages about me to a lawyer’. He added that the messages were ‘seriously defamatory’ and ‘completely and utterly untrue’
Campbell, 62, was among the famous faces forced to clear their name after allegations that a BBC presenter paid £35,000 for explicit photographs. Jeremy Vine has said that a defamation lawyer advised him that committing libel online is the ‘quickest way to lose £20,000’ – warning that he will also go after people who falsely named him.
HOW BBC PRESENTER ‘SEX PICS’ SCANDAL CAME TO LIGHT
2020: The BBC presenter allegedly began requesting sexually explicit photographs from the teenager.
May 19: Alleged victim’s family complained to the BBC, asking for the presenter to be told to stop sending their child money.
June: The accused host allegedly attended a party alongside BBC senior executives.
July 7: The BBC star was said to have been taken off air – but has not been suspended.
The alleged victim’s family details the accusations in a newspaper interview, claiming the presenter paid for the explicit photographs for three years.
The alleged victim’s mother also claimed the teenager used the cash to fund their spiralling drug habit.
July 8: It is revealed the presenter could face a police probe over potential crimes which carry a maximum 14-year prison sentence
Several major BBC stars – including Rylan Clark, Jeremy Vine and Gary Lineker – confirm they are not the man behind the scandal.
July 9: Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer holds ‘urgent talks’ with BBC boss Tim Davie.
BBC suspends the male staff member whom allegations were made against.
Director-general Tim Davie sends an internal email to staff reiterating that the BBC is taking the allegations ‘incredibly seriously’.
It is understood that the BBC has been in contact with police.
July 10: Representatives from the BBC meet with the Metropolitan Police.
Introducing his BBC Radio 5 Live show on Monday, Campbell said: ‘Obviously thoughts with the alleged victim and family. So a bit of perspective here, worse things happen at sea as they say, but it was a distressing weekend, I can’t deny it, for me and others falsely named.
‘Today I am having further conversations with the police in terms of malicious communication and with lawyers in terms of defamation.’
It comes after he suggested he had contacted police about being falsely mentioned online in connection with the story.
It comes after he suggested he had contacted police about being falsely mentioned online in connection with the story.
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.’
‘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,’ he wrote.
On his BBC radio show, a caller rang to say she was ‘so angry and cross’ that Mr Campbell and others had to come forward and clear their names.
Mr Campbell responded: ‘I’m all good, Jeremy (Vine) and also others involved as well, Rylan (Clark) and also Gary (Lineker), yeah it’s uncomfortable but as I said earlier worse things happen at sea. We’re big boys.’
The BBC is to meet the Metropolitan Police on Monday as the corporation deals with the allegations, after confirming a male staff member has been suspended.
BBC Breakfast host Jon Kay is the latest star to distance himself from the scandal, tweeting last night: ‘Enjoying some extra sleep and long-planned annual leave with the family, so no need to set my alarm clock tomorrow morning.
‘Back on the red sofa with my BBC Breakfast family in Salford in two weeks’ time.’
It came after Gary Lineker and Rylan Clark publicly stated they are not the presenter in question, with Lineker tweeting: ‘Hate to disappoint the haters but it’s not me.’
Clark also wrote: ‘Not sure why my name’s 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.’
Jeremy Vine also said: ‘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.’
Mr Vine, 58, has threatened legal action against a slew of Twitter trolls after they falsely accused him of being the BBC presenter who allegedly paid a teenager £35,000 for sexually explicit images.
He told social media users who allegedly libelled him that he has screenshotted their ‘defamatory’ tweets and his lawyer ‘will be in touch in the coming days’.
The Radio 2 lunchtime programme host, who was one of the first BBC celebrities to deny involvement in the scandal, claims that a defamation lawyer advised him that committing libel is the ‘quickest way to lose £20,000.’
BBC director-general Tim Davie is due to face the media on Tuesday for a scheduled briefing following the release of the corporation’s annual report, but the growing crisis involving the unnamed presenter will dominate the event
The corporation has been in touch with the police and confirmed a male member of staff has been suspended, while The Sun reported that the presenter at the centre of the allegations made ‘panicked’ calls to the young person last week.
The newspaper said the presenter allegedly asked ‘What have you done?’, adding that it is claimed he asked them to ring their mother to get her to ‘stop the investigation’.
According to BBC News, the corporation will meet the Metropolitan Police later ‘to discuss the matter’.
The BBC has said it had been investigating a complaint since May, when it was first made aware, and that new allegations of a ‘different nature’ were brought to it on Thursday.
As well as being in touch with the police, the corporation is carrying out its own inquiries and talking to the young person’s family.
In a statement on Sunday evening, the Metropolitan Police said: ‘The Met has received initial contact from the BBC in relation to this matter, but no formal referral or allegation has been made.
‘We will require additional information before determining what further action should follow.’
BBC director-general Tim Davie is due to face the media on Tuesday for a scheduled briefing following the release of the corporation’s annual report, but the growing crisis involving the unnamed presenter will dominate the event.
Mr Davie has said he is ‘wholly condemning the unsubstantiated rumours being made on the internet about some of our presenting talent’ after a host of famous BBC faces were forced to publicly state they are not the individual in question amid heavy speculation about the identity on social media.
In a note sent to staff and seen by the PA news agency, Mr Davie said the corporation takes ‘all such allegations incredibly seriously’.
A BBC spokesman said: ‘The BBC first became aware of a complaint in May.
‘New allegations were put to us on Thursday of a different nature and, in addition to our own inquiries, we have also been in touch with external authorities, in line with our protocols.
‘We can also confirm a male member of staff has been suspended.
‘We expect to be in a position to provide a further update in the coming days as the process continues. The BBC board will continue to be kept up to date.’
The statement added that the corporation has ‘robust internal processes in place to proactively deal with such allegations’.
‘This is a complex and fast-moving set of circumstances and the BBC is working as quickly as possible to establish the facts in order to properly inform appropriate next steps’, the BBC added.
‘It is important that these matters are handled fairly and with care.
‘We have been clear that if – at any point – new information comes to light or is provided to us, this will be acted upon appropriately and actively followed up.’
The allegations reported by The Sun newspaper claimed the BBC star paid the person, said to have been 17 when the payments began, £35,000 in exchange for the images.
The teenager’s mother told The Sun she saw a picture of the presenter on her child’s phone ‘sitting on a sofa in his house in his underwear’.
The mother said she was told it was ‘a picture from some kind of video call’ and looked like he was ‘getting ready for my child to perform for him’.
The family were said to have complained to the BBC on May 19, but allegedly became frustrated that the star remained on air.
Mr Davie’s note to staff on Sunday said: ‘The BBC became aware of a complaint in May; the BBC investigations team have been looking into this since it was raised and have been actively following up.
‘New allegations, of a different nature, were put to us on Thursday, and, in addition to our own inquiries, we have also been in touch with external authorities, in line with our protocols.
‘I can also confirm that we have suspended a member of staff.’
He added: ‘By law, individuals are entitled to a reasonable expectation of privacy, which is making this situation more complex. I also want to be very clear that I am wholly condemning the unsubstantiated rumours being made on the internet about some of our presenting talent.
‘We are in contact with the family referenced in the media reports. I want to assure you that we are working rapidly to establish the facts and to ensure that these matters are handled fairly and with care, including by external authorities where appropriate.’
Downing Street warned social media sites to ensure their platforms were ‘properly policed’ following baseless accusations against various BBC personalities following the reports.
‘Both the users of social media sites and the sites themselves have responsibility,’ the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said.
People ‘should understand their responsibilities, and putting baseless accusations online can carry consequences’.
The spokesman added: ‘We have been very clear with the sites themselves about their responsibilities on making sure these things are properly policed.’
Downing Street said Rishi Sunak had ‘full confidence’ in BBC director-general Tim Davie following the allegations made against a male presenter.
Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer will keep a ‘close watch’ on the handling of the claims, No 10 said.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: ‘Obviously these allegations are concerning.
‘The Secretary of State (Lucy Frazer) spoke to the director-general yesterday and was assured that the BBC is investigating this matter swiftly.
‘The Met themselves have said they have received initial contact as well.
‘The Culture Secretary will keep a close watch on how this develops and ensure she is regularly updated as appropriate.’
Asked if the PM had full confidence in Mr Davie, the spokesman said: ‘Yes.’
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