BBC presenter allegedly pays ₹37 lakh for naked pics from minor; mother says her child bought cocaine with the money

A BBC presenter is accused by the Sun newspaper of paying a young person for naked photos. The paper quoted the teenager's mother as saying the star showed himself in his underwear "waiting for my child to perform for him".

The age of the teenager was not disclosed by the paper, but it alleged they were 17 when the presenter began sending them money. Meanwhile, the BBC has stated it is very serious about any such allegations and will look into them.

"We treat any allegations very seriously and we have processes in place to proactively deal with them,” the publication quoted a BBC spokesperson as saying.

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While the investigation into the allegations is ongoing, the BBC presenter in question is currently not on air, as per the Sun. However, no official suspension has been announced by the broadcaster at this time. The status of the presenter will likely be reassessed based on the findings of the investigation.

The BBC presenter, according to the Sun, allegedly spent £35,000 (around ₹37 lakh) on explicit photos from a young person over three years. The young person's mother claimed that her child, who is now 20 years old, used the money to buy crack cocaine.

She told the Sun that her child would die if the presenter did not stop sending money. The paper said that the family contacted the BBC on May 19 to complain about the presenter.

The family reportedly decided to go to the press after seeing that the presenter was still on air, but they did not ask for any payment for their story.

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During a segment on the Today programme, BBC's culture and media editor, Katie Razzall, addressed the gravity of the situation, acknowledging that The Sun newspaper had featured the allegations prominently on its front page.

Razzall highlighted that the accusations raised significant questions, not only regarding the identity of the BBC presenter and the validity of the claims but also concerning the actions taken by the corporation subsequent to the complaint. The remarks underscored the ongoing discussions surrounding the issue, both within the BBC and among the public.