New twist in BBC presenter ‘explicit photos’ claims

The BBC gets a letter from a lawyer acting for the young man allegedly paid ‘thousands’ by a presenter for explicit photos, saying the claims are ‘rubbish’.

The BBC is under pressure to sack the presenter at the centre of the ‘explicit photos’ scandal. Picture: Getty Images.

The BBC has received a letter from a lawyer acting for the young man allegedly paid ‘thousands’ by a presenter for explicit photos, saying the claims are ‘rubbish’.

BBC representatives met police in London on Monday over the claims against the unnamed male presenter have made headlines across the British media, including on the BBC, since they were first published last Friday.

But the broadcaster said the lawyer’s letter claimed: “Nothing inappropriate or unlawful has taken place”.

“The allegations reported in The Sun newspaper are rubbish,” the letter said.

The Sun is standing by the claims, with a spokesman saying: “Two very concerned parents” made a complaint to the BBC that “was not acted upon”.

“We have seen evidence that support their concerns. It’s now for the BBC to properly investigate,” the spokesman added.

The claims and counter-claims have put the BBC in the public spotlight, with its own staff members demanding the presenter’s name is made public and that he leaves the corporation.

The Metropolitan Police said detectives from its Specialist Crime Command met representatives from the BBC virtually on Monday morning.

“They are assessing the information discussed at the meeting and further inquiries are taking place to establish whether there is evidence of a criminal offence being committed,” it added.

“There is no investigation at this time,” a statement read.

The mother of the 20-year-old said that she had seen a picture of a video call of the presenter sitting in his underwear on a sofa waiting for her child to “perform” for him along with bank statements containing numerous deposits that she said had been used to fund an addiction to crack cocaine. She said that she contacted the newspaper after her dismay that bosses had kept the star on-air following her initial approach.

The BBC on Sunday said it had suspended the presenter, without revealing his identity.

Britain has strict privacy and defamation laws, which has made the media increasingly wary of revealing a person’s identity before they are formally under investigation or arrest.

On social media, however, there has been a free-for-all of speculation, prompting several BBC household names to publicly state they were not involved.

The alleged victim’s family said the presenter had paid a total of £35,000 ($67,000) for the pictures.

The “sleazy messages” allegedly began three years ago when the teenager was aged 17.

The teenager’s mother blamed the man for “destroying my child’s life” and said they had used the money to fund a crack cocaine addiction.

The teenager’s family reportedly complained to the BBC on May 19, asking the corporation to stop the man “sending the cash”.

But they were upset to see that he remained on air.

Politicians – particularly those from the ruling Conservative party– have waded in, questioning why the BBC had not suspended the presenter sooner.

In a statement, the BBC said it became aware of “new allegations” last Thursday, and it was making its own inquiries, in line with company protocol.

Director general Tim Davie told staff on Sunday: “By law individuals are entitled to a reasonable expectation of privacy, which is making this situation more complex.” Davie condemned the “unsubstantiated rumours” online and said they were in contact with the family to establish the facts and ensure the issue was handled appropriately.

In 2011, the corporation’s reputation took a battering after the death of children’s television presenter Jimmy Savile, who was unmasked as a serial paedophile.

In 2018, the BBC itself was forced to pay substantial damages for breach of privacy to the singer Cliff Richard after it broadcast live footage of a 2014 police raid on his home.