While investigations into allegations against a BBC presenter continue to be shrouded in secrecy, Tim Davie faced the media at midday to discuss the BBC’s annual report.
Published at midday, the BBC director-general’s press conference was hijacked to focus on the ongoing accusations directed towards an unnamed BBC presenter.
The director-general said: “Immediately I have asked that we assess how some complaints are red flagged up the organisation.
“We will take time to properly review the current protocols and procedures to ensure they remain sufficient based on anything we learn from this case."
Tim Davie
PA
On Friday last week, The Sun published allegations made by the mother who claimed a BBC presenter paid her now 20-year-old child £35,000 over a three year period for explicit photos.
Where the BBC initially remained tight-lipped and reserved about the article, the broadcaster has become more bullish in highlighting inconsistencies since the young person’s lawyer turned on the family and described their account as “rubbish”.
The young person’s lawyer described The Sun’s story as "totally wrong” and claimed they had sent a denial to the newspaper about the mother’s allegations before the story was published.
The lawyer said: "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.”
In response, the family doubled down on the allegations with a new interview published by The Sun in which they call the BBC liars.
The Sun claims to have seen emails from the stepfather informing the BBC on May 19 of bank statements detailing huge payments from the BBC presenter.
However, an emboldened BBC pointed out that there were discrepancies between the accounts provided.
BBC Broadcasting House
PAThe step-father is quoted claiming to have been discussing allegations with the BBC “for an hour,” but a previous report stated: "The family say no-one from the corporation rang them for a proper interview after the initial complaint."
In response, The Sun changed tack slightly: "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."
As the standoff continues, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has set foot in the saga to say he does not know the identity of the presenter.
Tim Davie with Rishi Sunak
PA
Speaking while travelling to the Nato summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, Sunak described the allegations as “shocking and concerning.”
The Prime Minister told reporters that the Government had been assured by the BBC that the investigation being undertaken “is rigorous and will be swift.”
Sunak said: "Given the concerning nature of the allegations it's right they’re investigated swiftly and rigorously and it’s important we now let that carry on."
If a BBC presenter obtained sexually explicit images from a person below the age of 18, it might constitute a criminal offence.
Though the age of consent is 16, a person under the age of 18 cannot consent to taking part in ‘indecent photographs.’
BBC SCANDAL LATEST:
Tim Davie
PA
The presenter has been accused of making a number of payments over the years, which has helped fund the now-20-year-old's crack cocaine habit, according to the individual’s family account to The Sun.
The youth’s mother first told the newspaper: “I blame this BBC man for destroying my child’s life.
"Taking my child’s innocence and handing over the money for crack cocaine that could kill my child.”
The mother is also reported to have seen the BBC presenter stripped to his underpants for a video call with her child.
She said: “He was leaning forward, getting ready for my child to perform for him.”
With a limited amount of information being made available by the BBC on the identity of the individual, social media has become a hotbed of frenzied speculation.
A steady stream of presenters have taken the decision to publicly deny being the accused, including Gary Linkeker, Rylan Clark, Nicky Campbell and Jeremy Vine.
