Duncan Bartlett, a former BBC journalist, has been sentenced to eight years in prison after admitting to multiple child sexual abuse crimes. The sentencing was handed down at Wood Green Crown Court in north London. Bartlett, aged 52, admitted to 35 offenses on August 30.
London’s Metropolitan Police uncovered electronic devices belonging to Bartlett containing nearly 6,000 indecent images of minors. Further investigation revealed he had paid individuals in the Philippines to organize live-streamed content of child exploitation for his viewing. The devices were confiscated after Bartlett’s arrest in September 2021.
Bartlett’s career at the BBC spanned 14 years until 2015. He served as a correspondent in Tokyo and presented for the BBC World Service. Post-BBC, Bartlett continued working as a researcher and China expert at SOAS University of London until his guilty plea.
Several current and former BBC personalities have been convicted of serious sexual offenses in recent months. Top-paid BBC News anchor Huw Edwards pleaded guilty to making indecent images of children in July. Former presenter Adam Britton, who appeared in nature documentaries alongside Sir David Attenborough, pleaded guilty to raping and torturing 42 dogs and killing at least 39 in August.
All Britons who watch live television—even if none of it is BBC content—are compelled by law to fund the public broadcaster by purchasing a TV license. Anyone who does not is liable for prosecution, facing fines backed by the threat of imprisonment for non-payment.
Image from Metropolitan Police.
