Cops tell BBC to pause investigation into presenter’s ‘sex pics’ scandal so they can scope out legal probe
POLICE have told the BBC to pause a probe into a presenter’s alleged sex picture scandal while they “scope” out their own investigation.
An internal investigation was launched after it emerged the employee had paid thousands to the youngster.
But director-general Tim Davie said the BBC have been asked to “pause” the probe at the request of the Metropolitan Police.
This is while “the police scope future work” following a meeting with the Beeb yesterday over the allegations.
The development comes after Mr Davie confirmed the well-known employee was first spoken to on July 6 – seven weeks after the youngster’s family first raised their concerns with the BBC.
A relative had attended a BBC building on May 18 looking to make a complaint about the presenter.
The following day, the “complainant contacted BBC Audience Services; the details of this contact were referred to the BBC’s Corporate Investigations Team.”
Mr Davie explained the claims made were “incredibly serious” but “did not include allegations of criminality”.
But he claimed it would not have been right to contact the presenter until further information had been sought from the complainant, insisting attempts were made to do so.
The presenter was eventually spoken to 49 days later when The Sun first contacted the BBC to report the family’s claims.
Mr Davie told reporters at a briefing today that specific allegation “related to potential criminal activity” whereas the one in May did not.
According to the BBC, that day “a senior manager held the first conversation on this matter with the presenter concerned, to make him aware of the claims being outlined by The Sun.
“It was agreed that the presenter would not be on air while this matter was being considered.”
The dates mirror those of the youngster’s stepdad’s own timeline.
He complained to The Sun of a seven-week delay after he first made the bombshell claims.
The stepdad also claims he spent an hour with bosses putting the allegations to them after gathering screenshots of contact between the teen and the presenter.
He said: “I told the BBC I had gone to the police in desperation but they couldn’t do anything as they said it wasn’t illegal. They knew all of this.”
The stepdad also said the money did not stop, adding: “I don’t even think they spoke to him.”
The BBC star is accused of paying the youngster thousands – with the money allegedly spent on a “spiralling” crack habit.
A lawyer for the youngster says nothing unlawful or inappropriate happened.
But their family say they have only spoken out to help save their vulnerable addict child.
In a statement today the BBC said: “Yesterday, 10 July, the BBC’s Corporate Investigations Team had a meeting with the Metropolitan Police in relation to information provided to the BBC by The Sun newspaper on Thursday 6 July.
“As a result of this meeting, the BBC has been asked to pause its investigations into the allegations while the Police scope future work.
“The BBC has processes and protocols for receiving information and managing complaints when they are first made.
“We always take these matters extremely seriously and seek to manage them with the appropriate duty of care.
“The events of recent days have shown how complex and challenging these kinds of cases can be and how vital it is that they are handled with the utmost diligence and care.
“There will, of course, be lessons to be learned following this exercise.”