BBC presenter, who allegedly paid $45,000 for explicit pics, suspended
What's the story
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on Sunday announced that it suspended one of its leading presenters amid allegations that they paid a teenager for sexually explicit photographs. In an official release, the London-based national broadcaster confirmed that it first came to know about a complaint in May, but "new allegations were put to us on Thursday of a different nature."
Context
Why does this story matter?
The major development comes after the United Kingdom (UK)-based news outlet The Sun first reported that a male presenter on the BBC gave a youth around $45,000 starting in 2020 when the young individual was still 17 years old. Even though the age of sexual consent is 16 in Britain, making or possessing indecent photographs of anyone under 18 is still a crime.
Details
Details on BBC's statement regarding matter
"The BBC takes any allegations seriously, and we have robust internal processes in place to proactively deal with such allegations," the news outlet's official release stated. "This is a complex and fast-moving set of circumstances, and the BBC is working as quickly as possible to establish the facts in order to properly inform appropriate next steps," the statement added.
More details
BBC confirms being in touch with 'external authorities'
Furthermore, the corporation confirmed that it had been in contact with "external authorities" and that "a male member of staff has been suspended." The BBC also revealed that UK Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer held crisis talks with the news broadcaster's Director-General Tim Davie regarding allegations that she labeled "deeply concerning."
Know more
Several BBC presenters released clarification regarding matter
Since the allegations surfaced, several BBC presenters have taken to social media to clarify they are not the alleged broadcaster. The BBC—which was involved in another row over the appointment of its former Chairman Richard Sharp—has been chastised for how it handled the situation. Sharp resigned in April after failing to disclose his role in facilitating a £800,000 loan to former PM Boris Johnson.
Further information
Labour Party lawmaker reacts to BBC scandal
Meanwhile, the Labour Party's economy spokesperson Rachel Reeves stated that the BBC must "speed up their processes" and also "get their house in order." "The BBC, but also other broadcasters, do need to get a grip because we seem to lurch from one scandal to another, and more needs to be done," Reeves said during an interview on Sunday.
Twitter Post
Video of Reeves' interview
“The BBC needs to get their house in order”
— BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) July 9, 2023
Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves says the BBC needs to do better at handling serious allegations after The Sun published a report that an unnamed BBC presenter paid a teenager for explicit photos#BBCLauraK https://t.co/xOgO3VkVzc pic.twitter.com/NsetcJvX0D
Further details
Know about similar scandal involving ITV presenter Phillip Schofield
While the presenter and the youth's identities remain unknown, The Sun alleged that the youngster's mother had complained in May to the BBC, but the presenter remained on the air. Recently, commercial British broadcaster ITV faced its own scandal after the channel's popular long-time host Phillip Schofield resigned in May after admitting that he had lied about an affair with a considerably younger colleague.