Police ask BBC to pause ‘cash for photos’ probe as they proceed personal investigation
T
he BBC has introduced the Metropolitan Police has requested it to “pause its investigations” whereas it seems to be into allegations an unnamed presenter paid a troubled younger individual tens of 1000’s of kilos for sexual photographs.
It comes after the BBC’s company investigations workforce spoke to detectives on Monday.
A BBC spokesperson mentioned: “As a result of this meeting, the BBC has been asked to pause its investigations into the allegations while the police scope future work.”
They additionally revealed a timetable displaying a member of the family of the younger individual made the primary criticism in individual at a “BBC building” on May 18 and a day later the investigations workforce dominated “it did not include an allegation of criminality, but nonetheless merited further investigation”.
BBC chief Tim Davie informed reporters the BBC had “not been given a time scale” by officers into how lengthy the police investigation would take.
He mentioned: “Clearly any affair of this nature is serious in terms of the BBC’s reputation and trust is absolutely fundamental to the BBC”, including: “I think it’s too early to say how this impacts the BBC’s reputation in terms of trust”.
He refused to say if the presenter concerned had supplied his resignation, saying he “wouldn’t comment on a private conversation” and mentioned problems with privateness and public curiosity needed to be balanced all through the method.
Mr Davie mentioned the BBC will “pass any material we have” to investigating officers and admitted “questions have been asked about how this case was initially managed” and that “lessons will be learned” about how complaints are handled.
It was solely on July 6, when The Sun contacted the BBC press workplace, that “the director-general or any executive directors at the BBC were aware of the case.”
The spokesperson mentioned: “The BBC has processes and protocols for receiving information and managing complaints when they are first made. We always take these matters extremely seriously and seek to manage them with the appropriate duty of care. The events of recent days have shown how complex and challenging these kinds of cases can be and how vital it is that they are handled with the utmost diligence and care.”
Mr Davie insisted on Tuesday that belief was the company’s “top priority” as he confronted questions over the allegations.
Mr Davie mentioned the preliminary criticism was “serious” however “did not include an allegation of criminality”.
He added: “When The Sun made new allegations on July 6 they were different to the matters considered by BBC Corporate Investigations and those new allegations clearly related to potential criminal activity, criminality, that in a nutshell is the difference.”
The director-general was grilled by reporters at a briefing known as to debate the BBC’s annual report and organized earlier than the scandal erupted.The Met are conducting additional inquiries to determine if any crime has been dedicated. It has been reported the connection started when the individual was 17. Although the age of consent is 16, it’s unlawful to make or possess indecent photographs of anybody underneath 18.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson mentioned later: “We have asked the BBC to pause its own investigation while we continue our assessment to establish whether there is evidence of a criminal offence being committed.
“The assessment is being led by detectives from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command and follows a virtual meeting with representatives from the BBC on the morning of Monday, 10 July.
“There remains no police investigation at this time.”
The scandal overshadowed the publication of the BBC’s annual report which boasted that the organisation was the “No 1 most trusted news brand in the UK”.
Writing within the report, which was put collectively earlier than the most recent scandal broke, Mr Davie mentioned “trust” was the BBC’s “first priority”. He mentioned: “We know that trust in the BBC must be earned every day. That’s why we have worked harder than ever to open up our processes and show audiences more of the work that goes on behind the scenes of our journalism.”
The report exhibits the BBC investigated 34 “formal cases of bullying and harassment” in 2022/23 and 37 whistleblowing instances which cowl “safeguarding concerns about a child or young person or a vulnerable adult” in addition to “actual or potential criminal offences” and “anything which may bring the corporation into serious disrepute”.
Mr Davie’s private place has been bolstered by the assist of the Prime Minister, however Rishi Sunak admitted he was “shocked” by the allegations.
En path to the Nato summit in Lithuania, he informed reporters: “They were shocking, concerning allegations, of course they were. The Culture Secretary spoke to the director-general on Sunday and is reassured the process they are undertaking is rigorous and will be swift and so we have those reassurances.”
The story took one other twist on Monday evening when the younger individual on the centre of the controversy mentioned “nothing inappropriate or unlawful” occurred with the presenter, who is claimed to have given them £35,000 over three years.
Their model of occasions, in a letter from their lawyer, known as the unique story “rubbish”. They mentioned they informed The Sun on Friday that there was “no truth to it”.
But The Sun has stood by its reporting.