BBC Director-General Tim Davie said broadcasters should be “concerned” about the potential for abuse by powerful people given “the history of this industry”.
Speaking to the House of Lords’ Communications and Digital Committee on Tuesday, he confirmed the corporation has been in touch with the complainant who alleged Huw Edwards paid a young person for explicit images since the allegations were published in The Sun.
He said: “Since that weekend we have been in touch with the complainant and we want to be engaged and appropriately listening and understanding their concerns.”
Mr Edwards, one of the BBC’s most high-profile faces, was suspended after the allegations and is currently being treated for “serious mental health issues”.
Mr Davie told peers: “I think the history of this industry is such that we should all be concerned and appropriately diligent around the abuse of people... and certainly you have a dynamic when you have presenters or people in power.
“You need to ensure you are very, very clear about what your expectations are culturally and in terms of policy.”
The BBC has previously faced even more wide ranging scandals including the unmasking of DJ and presenter Jimmy Savile as one of Britain’s most prolific sex offenders as well as the jailing of broadcasters Stuart Hall and Rolf Harris for sex crimes.
Updating the committee on the review he has ordered into the internal protocols and procedures on complaints at the BBC in the wake of the Huw Edwards furore, Mr Davie said he expects it to report in the autumn or late autumn.
He said: “This has been a difficult affair where we have tried to calmly and reasonably navigate some difficult concerns around the allegations themselves, duty of care, privacy and legitimate public interest.”
He added: “We are in the process of looking at those facts, we are keen to receive any information, we want to understand anything that is out there.
“It’s difficult to give a precise time on that because you have to go though that diligently, assess the information, there are duty of care concerns within that. Because I’m not control of all the variables that could take weeks or a couple of months or even longer, depending on what we get and managing the individuals concerned flawlessly.
“My main priority is to be fair and get all the information into that process and act judiciously.”
