The broadcaster contacted police after a newspaper reported claims by the teenager’s mother.
British broadcaster the BBC has suspended one of its presenters who has been accused by a mother of paying her then 17-year-old child tens of thousands of pounds for sexually explicit photographs.
The broadcaster is investigating after The Sun newspaper published the mother’s testimony on Friday evening.
According to the newspaper, the family contacted the BBC in May to report the situation, but the presenter remained on air for several more weeks.
Shortly after an emergency phone call between Culture Minister Lucy Frazer and BBC director general Tim Davie, the BBC said in a statement that “a male member of its workforce has been suspended” and that the corporation was “working to establish the facts as quickly as possible”.
“This is a complex and rapidly evolving set of circumstances” and “it is important that these matters are dealt with fairly and carefully”, it added.
“We have also contacted external authorities in accordance with our protocols,” the BBC said.
On Sunday evening, the London police said they had been informed by the BBC about the case “but no formal referrals or allegations have been made”.
“We will need more information before determining what further action to take,” the Metropolitan Police said.
The allegations have provoked strong reactions from politicians, and the culture ministry has called on the BBC to investigate “urgently and sensitively”.
“Given the nature of the accusations, it is important to give the BBC time to conduct this investigation, establish the facts and take appropriate action”, the Culture Minister also indicated on Twitter.
In its statement, the BBC confirmed it had been informed “in May” of a complaint, and that “new allegations” had been received on Thursday.
“The BBC’s team of investigators has been examining (this matter) since it was reported and the case is being actively followed up”, director general Davie said in an internal memo.
The BBC had already said on Friday that it “treats all allegations very seriously” and has “a procedure in place to deal with them proactively”.
Former home secretary and Conservative MP Priti Patel described the BBC’s response to the new case on Twitter as “laughable”.
“The BBC, but other channels too, need to get a grip because we seem to be moving from scandal to scandal”, opposition Labour MP Rachel Reeves also reacted on Sky News on Sunday.
Last May, the star presenter of the commercial ITV channel Phillip Schofield resigned after admitting to an intimate relationship with a young colleague he had helped to get hired.
The channel’s management was called into question for its handling of the affair, even within Parliament.
Source: Euro News
