Presenter at BBC is terminated for paying a teenager Rs 37 lakh for sexually explicit photos

Following charges that he paid a youngster tens of thousands of pounds for sexually explicit images, the BBC suspended a broadcaster.

The allegations were initially made public on Friday in The Sun newspaper, which said that a young person’s mother accused an anonymous BBC presenter of giving her kid more than £35,000 (about Rs 37 lakh) over a three-year period for the sexually graphic photos. When the girl was allegedly 17 years old, the payments to her began.

According to CNN, a BBC representative stated, “This is a complex and rapidly evolving 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 noted that the latest charges were brought up to them on Thursday and that it first learned about the problem in May.

“New allegations of a different nature were made to us on Thursday,” it said. “In addition to our own inquiries, we have also made contact with outside authorities in accordance with our protocols.”

A staff member who is male has been suspended, according to the statement.

The young person’s family reportedly protested to the BBC in May, and it has also been said that the presenter in issue continued to appear on broadcast for a month after that.

Several BBC presenters publicly denied being the broadcaster in issue on Twitter once the claims became known.

The director general of the BBC, Tim Davie, promised Lucy Frazer, the UK’s minister for culture, that the BBC is “investigating swiftly and sensitively” into the “deeply concerning” claims.

The BBC contacted the London Metropolitan Police about the situation, the police said in a statement on Sunday, “but no formal referral or allegation has been made.”

“We will need more information before deciding what course of action should be taken moving forward,” it said.

Priti Patel, a former home secretary and current Conservative party member, called the BBC’s answer “derisory” and demanded that they conduct a thorough, open inquiry for the benefit of the victim and his family.

British television personality Phillip Schofield left the ITV network in May after confessing to having a “unwise but not illegal” relationship with a younger coworker.