Met Police ask BBC to pause internal investigation into presenter

The BBC has paused its investigation after a request by the police, ITV News Correspondent Lucy Watson reports

The BBC says it has paused its investigation into allegations a presenter paid a teenager for sexually explicit images after a meeting with police.

In a statement published on Tuesday, the broadcaster said the BBC met with the Metropolitan Police and was "asked to pause its investigations into the allegations while the police scope future work."

The BBC has suspended a male member of staff after The Sun newspaper reported claims he paid a young person around £35,000 over three years, from the age of 17, for explicit images.

The young person at the centre of the story has since 'rubbished' the claims via their lawyer saying the Sun's article had "no truth at all." However, their mother reportedly stands by the story.

The BBC also said it was reviewing complaints procedures following the allegations.

Speaking at a press conference about the BBC’s annual report, Director General Tim Davie said: "Of course there will be lessons to be learned, and how processes could be improved."In its statement released on Tuesday afternoon, the BBC also acknowledged that it has been criticised for how it handled the original complaint and provided more information on the allegations.

Among the revelations was that the BBC attempted to contact the complainant twice after the initial complaint was lodged, and both times received no reply.

It was also revealed the presenter at the centre of the allegations was only made aware of the complaint on July 6, despite it being made on May 19.

A timeline of events so far, including the updated information from the BBC's statement on Tuesday

• Thursday, May 18: The complainant attends a BBC building, where they sought to make a complaint about the behaviour of a presenter.

• Friday, May 19: The complainant contacts the BBC Audience Services; this contact is referred to the BBC's investigation team. The investigation team concludes the information provided did not include allegations of criminality but nonetheless merited further investigation.

• Tuesday, June 6: After the complainant failed to respond to an email requesting information to verify their identity the BBC attempted to contact them by phone, but the call did not connect, according to the BBC, and the case remained open.

• Thursday, July 6: The Sun contacts the BBC about the allegations with their source being the same person as the original complainant. The Director-General and other senior staff are informed. The BBC said these allegations were "different" to the matter already being investigated.

• Thursday, July 6: A senior manager discusses the allegations with the presenter involved and it is agreed they will not appear on air until the matter is resolved.

• Friday, July 7: The Sun publishes a story that an unnamed BBC presenter has paid a teenager thousands of pounds for sexually explicit photos; the teen's mother accuses the star of fuelling her child's "crack cocaine addiction." The BBC contacts the police regarding the allegations.

• Saturday, July 8: Gary Lineker and Jeremy Vine tweet they are not the unidentified staff member following social media speculation.

• Saturday, July 8:, the complainant sent the BBC more information regarding the complaint.

• Sunday, July 9: Rylan Clarke also denies any connection to the story and the BBC confirms the accused presenter has been suspended and that the corporation is in touch with the police.

• Monday, July 10: Downing Street issues a warning to social media sites following baseless accusations thrown at top BBC talent; Met Police confirm they are still establishing whether a criminal offence was committed.

• Monday, July 10: The young person at the centre of the allegations tells BBC News via a lawyer that the allegations are "rubbish" and there is "no truth at all" in the Sun's report.

• Monday, July 10: The parents of the young person speak to the Sun and say they "stand by" their claims.

• Monday, July 10: After further meetings with the police the BBC pause their investigation at their request.

• Tuesday, July 11: BBC director-general Tim Davie set to speak to media in the wake of the reports.

Director-general Mr Davie faced the media for a scheduled briefing following the release of the corporation’s annual report, in which the controversy dominated the agenda.

The report, planned before the allegations came out, was an assessment of the BBC’s performance over the last 12 months.

It revealed the pay remuneration of the corporation’s biggest earners.

The controversy over the unnamed presenter has dominated headlines in the UK for several days, but the BBC has said all parties involved in the investigation has the legal right to a reasonable expectation of privacy.

In a letter reported by BBC News At Six, the young person said via a lawyer: “For the avoidance of doubt, nothing inappropriate or unlawful has taken place between our client and the BBC personality and the allegations reported in The Sun newspaper are ‘rubbish’.”

The legal representative also said the young person had told The Sun on Friday evening before the newspaper published the story that there was “no truth to it”, the BBC reported.

The lawyer reportedly called the article on the front page “inappropriate,” claiming in the letter the mother and the young person are estranged.

BBC News said it does know the identity of the young person and has not spoken to them directly, but reported the letter was sent by a multinational law firm.

A spokesperson for The Sun said: “We have reported a story about two very concerned parents who made a complaint to the BBC about the behaviour of a presenter and the welfare of their child. Their complaint was not acted upon by the BBC.

“We have seen evidence that supports their concerns. It’s now for the BBC to properly investigate.”

The mother and stepfather of the young person stood by their allegation, and questioned how their child could afford the lawyer, The Sun reported.

The newspaper alleged that the mother said: “It is sad but we stand by our account and we hope they get the help they need.

“We did this to help – and the presenter has got into their head. How did they afford a lawyer?”

The family were said to have complained to the BBC on May 19, but allegedly became frustrated that the star remained on air.

The BBC said it had been investigating a complaint since May, and new claims of a “different nature” were brought to it on Thursday.

As well as being in touch with the police, the BBC was carrying out its own inquiries and talking to the young person’s family before the corporation was asked by the police to pause its probe.

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