A nude image scandal engulfing British broadcaster the BBC and one in all its excessive profile presenters has grown after one other younger individual claimed they had been contacted on-line by the star and “felt threatened” once they refused to fulfill up.
The new allegations come following earlier claims an adolescent obtained hundreds of kilos to ship the star sexual photos.
But in that case, the now 20-year-old has mentioned the claims – made by the individual’s household – had been “rubbish”.
On Friday, The Sunnewspaper printed allegations from the primary individual’s household that the presenter had paid round £35,000 ($A68,000) for sexual images and video calls once they had been 17.
In the UK, the age of consent is 16 years previous. However, in England and Wales any distribution of sexual photos of somebody beneath the age of 18 is illegitimate.
The cash, the household mentioned, was then used to fund a drug behavior.
“Without the money, my partner’s child would have no drugs,” the individual’s stepfather instructed The Sun.
Young individual says claims are ‘rubbish’
The household approached the BBC in May with the allegations. But they claimed the presenter remained on air tillThe Sun approached the broadcaster with the allegations final week.
On Sunday, the BBC suspended the family identify and started an investigation. No one has been charged and there’s at the moment no legal investigation however London’s Metropolitan Police is seeing if there are grounds for one.
The star has not recognized themselves and has issued no assertion on the matter.
The UK has strict privateness and defamation legal guidelines, which has made the media more and more cautious of showing an individual’s identification earlier than they’re formally beneath investigation or arrest.
On Monday, UK time, the BBC mentioned it had obtained a letter from the individual’s attorneys saying “nothing inappropriate or unlawful has taken place”.
“The allegations reported in The Sun newspaper are rubbish,” the letter mentioned. The household has stood by its claims.
The authorized letter claimed the individual was not contacted by The Sun previous to the story’s publication.
In an announcement, The Sun mentioned it had seen proof to again up the claims from “two very concerned parents”.
“It’s now for the BBC to properly investigate.”
Second individual comes ahead
On Tuesday, BBC News reported {that a} second younger individual had come ahead accusing the identical presenter of sending “abusive and menacing” messages.
The individual, of their early twenties, has now connection to the primary individual. They mentioned the presenter had messaged them on a relationship app and requested them to fulfill up however they by no means did.
They recognised the presenter and, the BBC reported, “hinted they might name” them which led to quite a lot of “abusive expletive filled messages”.
“The young person said they had been scared by the power the presenter held,” BBC News reported.
“They said the threats made in the messages … had frightened them, and they remain scared.” The BBC reported they “felt threatened”.
Questions stay over what – if any – relationship there was between the presenter and the teenager who the household claims was in communication with the star. And whether or not the BBC correctly investigated the allegations when the household approached the broadcaster in May.
The Metropolitan Police has now instructed the BBC to pause its inner investigation whereas its makes an attempt to ascertain if a criminal offense has been dedicated.
Another police power has confirmed it was contacted in April however “no criminality was identified”. It is now working with the Metropolitan Police.
The broadcaster has mentioned it has seen the messages and confirmed they got here from a telephone which belonged to the star.
The presenter has not commented.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4 on Tuesday, the BBC director normal Tim Davie mentioned the scandal was “clearly damaging” to the broadcaster.
He defended the BBC’s dealing with of the problem and mentioned the allegations had been instantly taken severely however conceded there was a query as as to if it raised “red flags quick enough”.
Meanwhile, there are requires the presenter to voluntarily identify themselves.
Conservative MP Damian Collins, who used to take a seat on a authorities committee that examined the BBC, mentioned the star’s anonymity won’t be “sustainable” in the event that they had been off air for a protracted interval and that absence was seen by viewers.
– with AFP.
Originally printed as Twist in scandal of BBC presenter who it’s claimed paid for sexual photos from teen
Source: www.dailytelegraph.com.au
