Culture secretary Lucy Frazer will hold urgent talks with the BBC today over the allegations that one of its presenters paid a teenager more than £35,000 for sexually explicit images.
Ms Frazer, whose department called the allegations ‘deeply concerning’, is set to meet with the BBC’s director general Tim Davie, the Corporation revealed.
The presenter, who has not been named but is described as being well-known, allegedly began paying the teenager when they were 17, and sent them the money which they used to fund an addiction to crack cocaine.
The lurid speculation was sparked by a newspaper report that the youngster’s family had complained about the behaviour of the ‘household name’ seven weeks ago, but had been unhappy with the BBC response.
The presenter has reportedly been taken off air pending an investigation, but is said to be known to millions of people. He could face a police probe over potential crimes which carry a maximum 14-year prison sentence.
News of the meeting with Ms Frazer comes as MPs have put pressure on the BBC to reveal how it handled the allegations made against the host.
Culture secretary Lucy Frazer (right) will hold urgent talks with BBC boss Time Davie (left) today over the allegations that one of its presenters paid a teenager more than £35,000 for sexually explicit images
The BBC presenter, who has not been named but is described as being well-known, allegedly began paying the teenager when they were 17, and sent them the money which they used to fund an addiction to crack cocaine (stock photo)
The alleged victim’s mother says that the family complained to the BBC on May 19, asking for the presenter to be told to stop sending their child money.
It is claimed that even after the family complained, the star continued to send money and remained on air – before he allegedly attended an awards ceremony and was even partying with BBC bosses.
Ahead of Ms Frazer’s meeting with Mr Davie, a Department of Culture, Media and Sport spokeswoman said: ‘These allegations are deeply concerning.
‘As a public service broadcaster in receipt of public funding, senior officials have stressed to the BBC that the allegations must be investigated urgently and sensitively, with the department kept informed.
‘The Culture Secretary will be speaking to Tim Davie later today.’
The meeting comes after a slew of lawmakers criticised the Corporation’s handling of the allegations and demanded full transparency about the probe.
Former Home Secretary Priti Patel called the broadcaster’s treatment of the complaint ‘derisory’ and insisted the BBC ‘must provide the victim and his family a full and transparent investigation’.
She added: ‘The BBC, which is funded by licence fee payers, has become a faceless and unaccountable organisation.’
Fellow Conservative MP Paul Bristow said: ‘What is being suggested is incredibly serious. The BBC must be completely transparent on how it is dealing with this complaint. No ifs, no buts. They need to let the licence fee paying public know what they are doing and what they propose to do.’
Labour shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said the reports were ‘deeply concerning’.
She told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday show: ‘The idea that some presenters act with impunity and can get away with these sort of things, it does call into question the ethics, the investigations, how long these things take,
‘The BBC and other broadcasters do need to get a grip because we seem to lurch from one scandal to another and more needs to be done.’
Ms Reeves added there should be a ‘full investigation’ into the matter.
‘That’s the concerning thing, someone makes a complaint – a very serious complaint – and then they’re put on the TV the next night and they’re still there,’ she said.
‘That’s not good enough, that’s not treating people, victims, with respect and that’s why there needs to be a full investigation.’
Government minister Victoria Atkins, the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, told Sky News: ‘These are very, very serious allegations and the BBC have said they have processes in places.
‘But I think as public attention and concern grows, the BBC is going to have to act very swiftly to deal with these allegations and set out what they are going to investigate them.’
Ms Atkins said she could ‘quite understand the public concern’ about the allegations.
‘It may well be that happens in due course,’ she added.
‘With allegations of this kind, we as a Government have worked very hard over the years to try to help complainants of very serious allegations both in the criminal courts and with the police.
‘And I would expect other institutions that have responsibilities with the public to have similar high standards.’
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
