Key Takeaways
- The BBC suspends presenter over a sexual misconduct allegation involving a teenager.
- The alleged payments total £35,000, prompting a police meeting on Monday.
- BBC Director General Tim Davie says the case is being taken “incredibly seriously.”
London: The British Broadcasting Corporation has suspended one of its male presenters over the allegation that he had for several years paid a teenager for explicit content.
The presenter will meet with the police on Monday to establish more facts, BBC News said.
This past Friday, UK tabloid newspaper The Sun reported that its editorial office had been contacted by a mother whose child received money from a prominent BBC host for sending explicit photos.
The communication between the teenager and the TV presenter reportedly started in 2020, when the former was 17 years old.
The teenager, who according to reports is a girl, became a drug-addict after obtaining big amounts of money.
The total payment she allegedly received from the BBC presenter was 35,000 pounds sterling ($44,900).
The BBC said that the corporation became aware of the complaint in May and that it was planning to hold discussions with the Metropolitan Police on Monday to address the issue and “to establish the facts in order to properly inform appropriate next steps.”
In the meantime, the unnamed presenter has been suspended since Sunday, the broadcaster said.
Additionally, BBC Director General Tim Davie said that the allegation had been taken “incredibly seriously” and described the situation as “complex.”
The corporation was working to timely establish the facts and “to ensure that these matters are handled fairly and with care,” Davie added.
