BBC stops investigation into allegations against star presenter

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The BBC has suspended its internal investigation into allegations that a top presenter paid a teenager for explicit sexual images while police decide whether to launch a criminal case.

In his first public appearance since the crisis began over the weekend, BBC director-general Tim Davey admitted on Tuesday that after ordering a review into how and when complaints were “red-flagged” he was “clearly (lesson) “Going to happen. broadcaster.

The Metropolitan Police is still considering whether to launch an investigation into the allegations which were first published by The Sun newspaper on Friday evening. Davey said that “as a result, the BBC has been asked to pause its investigation into the allegations whilst they undertake future work.”

Davey said he believed the broadcaster was going through a complex and difficult situation. , , responsibly and judiciously”.

The Met did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The BBC boss insisted it was “vital that we ensure processes are robust and working appropriately”. The review of protocol and procedures on complaints will be overseen by Leigh Twaziva, the BBC’s chief operating officer.

Davy also received the backing of the BBC board on Tuesday. Interim chairman Dame Ellen Claus Stephens, who took over last month after Richard Sharp stepped down because of his involvement in the loan scandal involving Boris Johnson, said the board was satisfied that Davey had acted “swiftly but with care”. acted with due duty”.

The BBC, which has been attacked over its handling of the scandal, also published details of the events leading up to the presenter’s suspension over the past weekend, showing his refusal to speak to the man’s family following a complaint in May. Initial attempts were unsuccessful.

The timeline shows that Davey and the board were only told on Thursday, when the broadcaster had also spoken to the presenter for the first time and decided to remove him from the broadcast.

Davey said the original approach to the BBC – initially by visits to the offices by the family and then via its viewer services team – was a “serious complaint” which was immediately forwarded to its investigation team.

This team deemed it serious enough to escalate, but at the time there were no allegations of criminality and more involvement with the individual was required.

Davey said he had not spoken to the presenter in person. He declined to comment on questions about whether there was any blackmail involved in the case or what the next steps were likely to be, saying it was important for “the police to do their job”.

Davey acknowledged that the situation was “serious for the reputation of the BBC”, but it was “too early to say” what impact it would have on public confidence.

A male BBC presenter was suspended on Sunday after being accused of spending thousands of pounds on photographs of a young man who was allegedly 17 when the first payment was made.

The BBC’s handling of the latest crisis has sparked anger in the corporation’s newsrooms, with some calling for more transparency, and attacks by politicians over its failure to fully investigate the original complaint. BBC stars such as Gary Lineker have been forced to deny any involvement.

The crisis surrounding the BBC took an unexpected turn on Monday night when Child & Child, a law firm representing the young man, contacted the BBC to say the allegations made by the parents in The Sun were “nonsense”.

In a statement, the law firm said The Sun had already been denied publication of its original story, and that “nothing improper or illegal” had happened between the young man and the “BBC personality”.

The family of the complainant on Monday night stuck to their story. A spokesman for The Sun said it had told a story about “two very concerned parents who made a complaint to the BBC about the behavior of a presenter and their child’s welfare. . . we have seen evidence that who support their concerns.

The BBC plunged into group deficit this year, with a loss of £120mn compared to a surplus of £206mn last year, according to the annual report published on Tuesday.