A well-known, though hitherto unnamed, male presenter on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has been suspended following allegations he paid upwards of £35,000 ($45,000) to a 17-year-old girl for ‘sexual pictures’.
The now suspended presenter – said to be known to millions of Britons – allegedly solicited “performances” from the teenage girl to which the girl would “get [her] bits out” on video calls or via text message. Allegations were also made that the presenter stripped down to his underwear and asked for pictures while at work. On one occasion the man is said to have transferred a whopping £5,000 ($6,500) to the girl’s bank account.
The girl’s family made a formal complaint to the BBC earlier this year regarding the matter, asking bosses to demand an end to the behavior. Yet, the individual remained on the air until the story surfaced late last week.
“I blame the BBC man for destroying my child’s life… [t]aking my child’s innocence and handing over the money for crack cocaine that could kill my child,” the girl’s mother told the British daily newspaper The Sun, which broke the story.
On Monday evening, a lawyer representing the alleged victim told the BBC her mother’s story was “rubbish” and that “nothing inappropriate” took place.
“For the avoidance of doubt, nothing inappropriate or unlawful has taken place between our client and the BBC personality and the allegations reported in the Sun newspaper are rubbish,” the lawyer claimed in a statement.
