Questions have been raised by members of the public asking why the BBC presenter hasn’t been named in the scandal involving explicit photos of a teen.
The news broke on Friday that a male BBC star allegedly requested explicit photos from a then-teenager in return for cash.
READ MORE: BBC presenter begged teen’s mum to ‘stop investigation’ after sex pics complaint
The star is yet to be named and as people wonder who is the man involved in the claims, we’ve done a deep dive into why the individual cannot be named at this time.
Legal issues are the central reason for withholding the name of the presenter, mostly because at this moment in time, all allegations made in The Sun are simply claims.
Other outlets have not seen evidence nor who has supplied said evidence – and it’s also unclear as to whether laws were broken.
Without knowing the content of the alleged photographs or when they were sent.
The BBC, who has suspended the man, will want to thoroughly investigate the allegations before releasing his name to the public.
Director-general Tim Davie told BBC staff they were taking the allegations “incredibly seriously” and added: “By law, individuals are entitled to a reasonable expectation of privacy, which is making this situation more complex.”
He explained the team were working “rapidly” to establish the facts.
Another reason the individual remains unnamed is due to defamation which protects people from harm to their reputation and financial loss if claims turn out to be untrue.
Naming the individual could put his personal life and professional life at risk if claims are not substantiated.
Laws around defamation are strict and cover all individuals, so people are urged to not speculate on the individuals involved.
According to Sky News, Joshua Rozenberg, a former BBC legal correspondent, said: “Libel… defamation. A lot of people named various people wrongly on social media on Sunday and the people who have been wrongly accused of these very serious allegations could well sue.
“It is a very risky thing to name somebody – to defame somebody – even if you’re just sending a tweet.”
Some presenters have already stepped forward to speak out against the claims and confirm they’re not involved.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk