LONDON (AP) 鈥� British detectives met with representatives of the B小蓝视频 on Monday over allegations that a leading presenter . But police said they had not opened a criminal investigation, and a lawyer for the young person denied anything inappropriate had happened.
The U.K.鈥檚 publicly funded national broadcaster has suspended the male star, who has not been named, over allegations he gave a youth 35,000 pounds ($45,000) starting in 2020 when the young person was 17.
Though the age of sexual consent in Britain is 16, it is a crime to make or possess indecent images of anyone under 18.
London鈥檚 Metropolitan Police force said detectives were 鈥渁ssessing the information discussed at the meeting and further enquiries are taking place to establish whether there is evidence of a criminal offence being committed.鈥�
"There is no investigation at this time," the force said.
The Sun newspaper, which first reported the allegations, said that the young person鈥檚 mother had complained to the B小蓝视频 in May but that the presenter had remained on the air. The parents then went to the tabloid with the story.
In a further twist, a lawyer for the young person 鈥� who also has not been named 鈥� told the B小蓝视频 that 鈥渘othing inappropriate or unlawful has taken place between our client and the B小蓝视频 personality.鈥� The lawyer said the allegations reported in The Sun were 鈥渞ubbish.鈥�
The newspaper defended its actions, saying it 鈥渞eported a story about two very concerned parents who made a complaint to the B小蓝视频 about the behavior of a presenter and the welfare of their child.鈥�
鈥淭heir complaint was not acted upon by the B小蓝视频. We have seen evidence that supports their concerns. It鈥檚 now for the B小蓝视频 to properly investigate,鈥� the newspaper said.
The B小蓝视频 has been scrambling to stem a growing crisis since the claims were first published by The Sun over the weekend. It said in a statement Sunday that it 鈥渇irst became aware of a complaint in May,鈥� but that 鈥渘ew allegations were put to us on Thursday of a different nature.鈥�
The broadcaster said that 鈥渢he B小蓝视频 takes any allegations seriously and we have robust internal processes in place to proactively deal with such allegations.鈥� It said the corporation had also been in touch with 鈥渆xternal authorities,鈥� but did not specify whether that was the police.
鈥淭his is a complex and fast-moving set of circumstances and the B小蓝视频 is working as quickly as possible to establish the facts in order to properly inform appropriate next steps,鈥� the B小蓝视频 said.
鈥淲e can also confirm a male member of staff has been suspended.鈥�
The presenter鈥檚 name has not been disclosed because of British privacy laws. But that has not stopped fevered speculation on social media about the man's identity.
Several of the B小蓝视频鈥檚 best-known stars spoke up to say it wasn鈥檛 them and even threatened to take legal action against online accusers.
Radio host Nicky Campbell said it had been 鈥渁 distressing weekend, I can鈥檛 deny it, for me and others falsely named.鈥�
鈥淭oday I am having further conversations with the police in terms of malicious communication and with lawyers in terms of defamation,鈥� Campbell said on his B小蓝视频 radio program.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak鈥檚 spokesman, Max Blain, said the allegations were 鈥渃oncerning,鈥� but that the government had been 鈥渁ssured that the B小蓝视频 is investigating this matter quickly.鈥�
鈥淭he first thing to do is establish the facts and ensure they are set out at the appropriate time,鈥� he said.
The situation comes weeks after commercial U.K. broadcaster ITV faced its own scandal when , a long-time host on the channel鈥檚 popular morning show, quit in May, admitting he had lied about an affair with a much younger colleague.
ITV executives were summoned to Parliament to answer questions about whether the broadcaster had a 鈥渢oxic鈥� work culture and had covered up misconduct by stars.
The B小蓝视频 faces greater scrutiny than other broadcasters because of its status as a national institution funded through an annual license fee of 159 pounds ($203) paid by all households with a television.
It has been hit by several scandals involving its stars over the years, most notoriously when longtime children鈥檚 TV host Jimmy Savile was exposed after his death in 2011 as a pedophile who abused children and teens over several decades.
Jill Lawless, The Associated Press
