BBC to ‘swiftly’ investigate presenters’ claims, government says

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LONDON, July 9 (Reuters) – Britain’s BBC was questioned by the government on Sunday over its handling of an allegation that one of its star presenters paid a teenager thousands of pounds to pose for pictures sexually explicit, from the age of 17.

Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer held urgent talks with the broadcaster’s chief executive, Tim Davie, on Sunday about the allegations, which she described as “deeply concerning”.

“(Davie) assured me that the BBC was investigating quickly and sensitively,” she said on Twitter.

“Given the nature of the allegations, it is important that the BBC now has the space to investigate, establish the facts and take appropriate action.”

The Sun newspaper, which first reported the allegations, quoted the youngster’s mother as saying the anonymous male presenter had paid the teenager more than 35,000 pounds ($45,000) over three years for the footage.

The mother told the newspaper that the teen had used the money to fund crack cocaine use.

The family complained to the broadcaster on May 19, but the presenter was not immediately taken off the air, according to the Sun, which said the family did not seek payment for their story.

The BBC, which is funded by a license fee paid by every household that watches TV, said in a statement: “We treat all allegations very seriously and have processes in place to deal with them proactively.”

The broadcaster said its processes include “an active attempt to speak to those who have contacted us in order to obtain further details and understand the situation”.

“If we get no response to our attempts or receive no further contact, it may limit our ability to get things done, but that doesn’t mean our requests stop.

“If at any time new information is revealed or provided, including via logs, it will be handled appropriately in accordance with internal processes,” he said.

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Reporting by Paul Sandle; Editing by William Maclean and David Holmes

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