A BBC host at the centre of sexual allegations partied with bosses at an awards event after the claims were made, according to the Mirror.
It came weeks after the claims emerged that the man paid a teenager for explicit pictures. The allegations came from the mother of the teen.
Many big stars from the BBC have denied that it is them. The Mirror has revealed that the presenter was still allowed to attend the party after the claims came to light.
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He has been accused of paying £35,000 to a young person in return for sexual images. The teen’s mum says her child blew the money on drugs and had gone from a “happy-go-lucky youngster to a ghost-like crack addict”.
The official complaint was made to the BBC by the mum on May 19. However, they then attended the event alongside senior BBC executives which included champagne and a three-course meal.
One guest told the Mirror: "If this man was aware of what was hanging over him, he certainly didn’t show it."
Many big profile names, from Gary Lineker, Rylan Clark, and Jeremy Vine, have all publicly denied it is not them. Former detective Mark Williams Thomas, who revealed Jimmy Savile was a sex offender, said licence fee payers had a right to know the name of the star – who has now been taken off air.
The ex-Surrey Police officer told the Mirror: "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."
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."
And a source said: "It is astonishing someone accused of such serious allegations was able to attend an event like this. The BBC had been made aware in the strongest possible terms of what this person is supposed to have done – and still they were able to go along, with colleagues in tow. It is very odd, to say the least."
The mother of the teen told The Sun her child was 17 when sleazy messages were allegedly first sent, in 2020. She said of the presenter: "Whenever I see him on telly, I feel sick.
"I blame this BBC man for destroying my child’s life, taking my child’s innocence and handing over money for crack cocaine that could kill my child. There were huge sums. One time he sent £5,000 in one lump. The money had been in exchange for sexually explicit photographs of my child."
The BBC has pledged to investigate the new allegations, including if the alleged behaviour happened in the workplace.
A spokesman said: "We treat any allegations very seriously and we have processes in place to proactively deal with them. If we receive information that requires further investigation or examination, we will do this. That includes actively attempting to speak to those who have contacted us in order to seek further detail and understanding of the situation. If new information comes to light or is provided – including via newspapers – this will be acted upon."
