A male member of staff has been suspended following allegations an unnamed BBC presenter paid a teenager for sexually explicit images, the broadcaster said.
The company said additional claims of a “different nature” were brought to it on Thursday, despite the fact that it was made aware of a complaint in May.
The BBC stated that it takes any accusations “seriously,” and it acknowledged that it had gotten in touch with outside authorities in addition to carrying out its own investigations.
The BBC is in communication with the authorities, according to the PA news agency.
BBC director-general Tim Davie said he is “wholly condemning the unsubstantiated rumours being made on the internet about some of our presenting talent”.
Mr. Davie stated that the company takes “all such allegations incredibly seriously” in a note to the workers that PA was able to see.
A BBC representative said in a statement provided to the PA news agency: “The BBC first became aware of a complaint in May.
“New allegations were put to us on Thursday of a different nature and in addition to our own inquiries we have also been in touch with external authorities, in line with our protocols.
“We can also confirm a male member of staff has been suspended.
“We expect to be in a position to provide a further update in the coming days as the process continues. The BBC board will continue to be kept up to date.”
The statement added that the corporation takes “any allegations seriously” and that it has “robust internal processes in place to proactively deal with such allegations”.
“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 BBC added.
“It is important that these matters are handled fairly and with care.
“We have been clear that if – at any point – new information comes to light or is provided to us, this will be acted upon appropriately and actively followed up.”
The person, who was reportedly 17 when the payments started, allegedly received £35,000 from the BBC personality, according to claims published in The Sun tabloid.
The mother of the youngster told The Sun that she found a photo of the presenter “sitting on a sofa in his house in his underwear” on her son’s phone.
It appeared as though he was “getting ready for my child to perform for him,” the mother claimed she was told, and it was “a picture from some kind of video call.”
The family apparently complained to the BBC on May 19 but grew impatient because the star continued to air.
Mr Davie’s note to staff on Sunday said: “The BBC became aware of a complaint in May; the BBC investigations team have been looking into this since it was raised and have been actively following up.
“New allegations, of a different nature, were put to us on Thursday, and in addition to our own enquiries we have also been in touch with external authorities, in line with our protocols.
“I can also confirm that we have suspended a member of staff.”
He added: “By law, individuals are entitled to a reasonable expectation of privacy, which is making this situation more complex. I also want to be very clear that I am wholly condemning the unsubstantiated rumours being made on the internet about some of our presenting talent.
“We are in contact with the family referenced in the media reports. I want to assure you that we are working rapidly to establish the facts and to ensure that these matters are handled fairly and with care, including by external authorities where appropriate.”
BBC presenter faces new allegations over explicit photos https://t.co/dgSbIsvU0W
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) July 9, 2023
The organisation is “investigating swiftly and sensitively” into the claims, Mr. Davie promised Lucy Frazer, the Culture Secretary, earlier on Sunday.
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