LONDON - BBC representatives met police in London on Monday over allegations that one of the broadcaster's top presenters paid a teenager thousands of pounds for sexual images.
The claims against the unnamed male presenter have made headlines across the British media, including on the BBC, since they were first published last Friday.
But the publicly-funded broadcaster said later it had received a letter from a lawyer claiming to represent the young person, saying "nothing inappropriate or unlawful has taken place".
"The allegations reported in The Sun newspaper are rubbish," the letter said.
The BBC quoted a spokesperson for The Sun saying in response that "two very concerned parents" made a complaint to the BBC that "was not acted upon".
"We have seen evidence that support their concerns. It's now for the BBC to properly investigate," they added.
The claims and counter-claims have put the BBC, which is regularly attacked by critics from all sides for political bias, once again in the public spotlight.
In 2011, its reputation took a battering after the death of children's television presenter Jimmy Savile, who was unmasked as a serial paedophile.
The Metropolitan Police said detectives from its Specialist Crime Command met representatives from the BBC virtually on Monday morning.
"They are assessing the information discussed at the meeting and further enquiries are taking place to establish whether there is evidence of a criminal offence being committed," it added.
"There is no investigation at this time," a statement read.
- Privacy -
The BBC on Sunday said it had suspended the presenter, without revealing his identity.
Britain has strict privacy and defamation laws, which has made the media increasingly wary of revealing a person's identity before they are formally under investigation or arrest.
In 2018, the BBC itself was forced to pay substantial damages for breach of privacy to the singer Cliff Richard after it broadcast live footage of a 2014 police raid on his home.
In 2022, the UK Supreme Court ruled against Bloomberg News in a landmark privacy case after it published the name of a US businessman who was facing a criminal inquiry by a British regulator.
On social media, however, there has been a free-for-all of speculation, prompting several BBC household names to publicly state they were not involved.
The alleged victim's family said the presenter had paid a total of pound sterling35,000 ($45,000) for the pictures.
The "sleazy messages" allegedly began three years ago when the teenager was aged 17.
The teenager's mother blamed the man for "destroying my child's life" and said they had used the money to fund a crack cocaine addiction.
The teenager's family reportedly complained to the BBC on May 19, asking the corporation to stop the man "sending the cash".
But they were upset to see that he remained on air.
- 'Unsubstantiated' -
Politicians -- particularly those from the ruling Conservative party supported by The Sun -- have waded in, questioning why the BBC had not suspended the presenter sooner.
The Tories have been increasingly at odds with the corporation, accusing it of being biased against Brexit, and for pursuing a liberal, metropolitan and elitist agenda.
It is repeatedly required to justify its annual taxpayer funding, in the face of complaints from commercial rivals.
But it has also faced criticism from the main opposition Labour party, most recently after the BBC chairman was revealed to have backed a sizeable loan to former prime minister Boris Johnson.
In a statement, the BBC said it became aware of "new allegations" last Thursday, and it was making its own enquiries, in line with company protocol.
Director general Tim Davie told staff on Sunday: "By law individuals are entitled to a reasonable expectation of privacy, which is making this situation more complex."
Davie condemned the "unsubstantiated rumours" online and said they were in contact with the family to establish the facts and ensure the issue was handled appropriately.
