UPDATE: The BBC has suspended a male member of staff accused of paying a teenager for sexually explicit photographs.
The BBC said in a statement on Sunday: “The BBC takes any allegation seriously and we have robust internal processes in place to proactively deal with such allegations.
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“This is a complex and rapidly changing set of circumstances and the BBC is working as quickly as possible to establish the facts to properly inform the appropriate next steps.
“It is important that these matters are handled fairly and carefully.
“We have been clear that if – at any time – new information is revealed or provided to us, it will be handled appropriately and actively followed up.
“The BBC first became aware of a complaint in May. Further allegations were brought to us on Thursday of a different nature and in addition to our own investigations we have also been in contact with external authorities in accordance to our protocols.
“We can also confirm that a male member of staff has been suspended.
“We hope to be able to provide a further update in the coming days as the process continues. The BBC Board will continue to be kept informed.
PREVIOUSLY: The UK government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has described allegations that a star BBC presenter paid for sexually explicit photographs of a teenager as “deeply concerning”. UK Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer said BBC Director-General Tim Davie assured her the company was investigating the allegations “promptly and sensitively”.
“As a public service broadcaster receiving public funding, senior officials have stressed to the BBC that the allegations must be investigated urgently and sensitively,” DCMS said in a statement.
EARLIER: Britain’s BBC is in the midst of a growing storm over allegations that a star presenter paid for sexually explicit photographs of a teenager.
The scandal emerged on Friday when British tabloid The Sun published a story alleging a BBC presenter allegedly paid a teenager more than £35,000 ($44,500) since he was 17 in exchange for explicit photographs .
Although 17 is over the age for sexual content, under the UK Child Protection Act 1978 it is a crime and the penalty is to take, create, share and possess indecent images of people under 18. maximum for the offense is 10 years.
“The alleged recipient’s mother said they used the money to fund crack cocaine use,” The Sun wrote.
The presenter – “a familiar face known to millions”, according to The Sun – was thought to have been taken off the air after the story aired.
On Saturday, new allegations emerged in the tabloid that the presenter stripped down to his underwear for a video call. The Sun wrote, quoting the mother of the alleged victim who claimed to have seen the presenter on her child’s phone: “leaning forward, getting ready for my child to play for him”.
The mother’s claims are in a sworn affidavit provided to The Sun, the tabloid said, adding that the youngster’s family complained to the BBC on May 19.
A BBC spokesperson said Variety“We treat all allegations very seriously and have processes in place to deal with them proactively.
“As part of this, if we receive information that requires further investigation or review, we will take steps to do so. This includes actively trying to speak to those who have contacted us in order to obtain more details and understand the situation.
“If we don’t get a response to our attempts or receive any further contact, it may limit our ability to get things done, but that doesn’t mean our requests stop. If at any time new information is revealed or provided – including via logs – it will be handled appropriately in accordance with internal processes.
Meanwhile, several BBC presenters took to social media to deny they were the star presenter, including Rylan Clark, Jeremy Vine and Gary Lineker.
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