The police officer who exposed Jimmy Savile has insisted the BBC presenter that has been suspended for allegedly paying a teenager for sexually explicit images should be named.
It comes after an unnamed male presenter was suspended over claims he paid with a teenager for explicit photos. The BBC has also contacted police although no formal allegation has been made yet, according to Scotland Yard.
Prior to the suspension by the BBC being announced on Sunday, Tory minister Lucy Frazer said she had been assured by BBC boss Tim Davie that the corporation is investigating the allegations “swiftly and sensitively”.
The teenager’s mum claims her child blew the money on drugs and had gone from a “happy-go-lucky youngster to a ghost-like crack addict”. It has been reported the mum made an official complaint about the man to BBC chiefs on May 19.
Yet weeks later it is claimed he rubbed shoulders with fellow celebrities at an elite venue, enjoying a three-course meal and wine. On Sunday, the BBC announced they had suspended the presenter and reports suggest the corporation have contacted the police.
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Jimmy Saville cop Mark Williams-Thomas says the BBC presenter should be named (ITV)The allegations have left many people to speculate who the host is online, as the BBC's Director General Tim Davie announced he "wholly condemns the unsubstantiated rumours being made on the internet" on Sunday.
The social media frenzy left the likes of Gary Lineker, Radio 2 presenter Jeremy Vine and former Strictly It Takes Two co-host Rylan Clark taking to their Twitter accounts on Saturday to deny being the mystery presenter.
While the ex-cop who revealed Jimmy Savile was a pervert has said the star allegedly involved in the scandal should be named. Former detective Mark Williams Thomas, told the Sunday Mirror licence fee payers have a right to know the name of the star.
The ex-Surrey Police officer said: “The BBC has already had a month to look into this – they should have concluded their investigation by now and named the individual in question.
“It’s all about openness and transparency, but the BBC has got a track record of carrying out fatally flawed investigations. They need to get this investigated. It’s obligatory now that they go through proper due process to get this sorted as soon as possible.”
The Sunday Mirror also claimed the presenter was allowed to attend a swanky do after allegations against him had been made. The star allegedly attended the event with senior BBC executives and was seen alongside them as they enjoyed the champagne reception before taking their seats for the ceremony.
Of the awards do, Mr Williams Thomas added: “This man should have been suspended pending an investigation. If this had happened he would never have been able to attend the ceremony. It’s the same failed process as Savile, yet again.”
A guest at the event also told the Sunday Mirror: “If this man was aware of what was hanging over him, he certainly didn’t show it.” The presenter has been accused of paying £35,000 to a young person in return for sexual images.
On Saturday, The Sun reported the teenager's mother claiming the unnamed BBC presenter stripping down to his underwear during a video call with their child. She claims she immediately recognised the star.
"I was shocked to see a picture of him sitting on a sofa in his house in his underwear," she told The Sun before adding: "I immediately recognised him, he was leaning forward getting ready for my child to perform for him. My child told me, 'I have shown things' and this was a picture from some kind of video call."
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BBC director-general Tim Davie has addressed online speculation (PA)It comes after the mother alleges that the man in question handed over thousands in several transactions which has enabled her child to feed their crack cocaine addiction. The man in question is currently being investigated by the publicly-funded corporation and has been suspended.
The BBC announced a male presenter had been suspended on Sunday, saying in a statement: “The BBC takes any allegations seriously and we have robust internal processes in place to proactively deal with such allegations.
“This is a complex and fast moving set of circumstances and the BBC is working as quickly as possible to establish the facts in order to properly inform appropriate next steps.
“It is important that these matters are handled fairly and with care.We have been clear that if - at any point - new information comes to light or is provided to us, this will be acted upon appropriately and actively followed up.
“The BBC first became aware of a complaint in May. New allegations were put to us on Thursday of a different nature and in addition to our own enquiries we have also been in touch with external authorities, in line with our protocols. We can also confirm a male member of staff has been suspended.
“We expect to be in a position to provide a further update in the coming days as the process continues. The BBC Board will continue to be kept up to date.”
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