The BBC has suspended one of its male presenters following allegations that he spent £35,000 (Rs 37.30 lakh) on explicit images from a minor who used the money to purchase crack cocaine. These interactions are reported to have begun when the person was just 17 years old, potentially making this a case of commissioning child sexual abuse images - a grave criminal offense.
The information available so far comes from reporting by the Sun, which relied on an anonymous quote from the victim’s mother. According to her, her child, now 20, revealed an online bank statement that showed multiple deposits from the BBC presenter.
The mother stated, "There were huge sums, hundreds, or thousands of pounds at a time. One time he had sent £5,000 in one lump. The money had been in exchange for sexually explicit photographs of my child."
She further alleged that the presenter requested "performances" from her ward, who would comply by exposing themselves, before using the funds to purchase drugs. The mother expressed her anger, holding the BBC star responsible for "destroying my child's life" and endangering their well-being.
The BBC has acknowledged that an initial complaint was made in mid-May, prompting an internal investigation. However, the presenter continued to appear on air until the Sun approached the BBC for comment on the story nearly two months later.
BBC sources indicate that the initial allegations were not as severe as those presented by the Sun, which ultimately triggered a more comprehensive investigation.
The BBC has since suspended the presenter, initiated an internal inquiry, and notified a specialist police unit that deals with high-profile individuals. It is expected that further contact with the police will occur on Monday.
The motive behind the mother speaking to the media remains unclear. The Sun, known for paying individuals for information, asserts that she did not seek any financial compensation for sharing her story. It is uncertain whether the victim has cooperated with the newspaper.
According to the mother, she witnessed the BBC presenter "stripped to his underpants for a video call" with her child. Feeling that the BBC was not adequately responding to her allegations, she turned to the press, stating, "We never wanted an investigation. We just wanted the BBC to tell him to stop. Initially, the security boss gave us a number that didn't exist."
While the identity of the BBC presenter accused of purchasing explicit images is known to several news outlets, including the Sun, they have chosen not to disclose the name.
This decision is attributed to the UK's increasingly robust privacy laws and concerns about associating an individual with such damaging allegations. As of now, there is no known court injunction prohibiting the disclosure of the presenter's name.
The anonymity surrounding the case has led to an influx of false accusations against other prominent male BBC presenters on social media.
Legally, if the presenter solicited images of a 17-year-old engaged in sexual acts, they may be in possession of child abuse images, which is a serious sexual offense with a minimum sentence of 26 weeks in prison.
Read: BBC news presenter's response to her viral live TV blooper
The victim involved has not been quoted in any of the Sun's articles, and it remains unknown if they are cooperating with the BBC investigation.
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