A BBC presenter has been accused of paying a teenager to take sexually explicit photos, starting when they were 17, according to The Sun.
The newspaper reported that the unnamed male presenter had paid the alleged victim tens of thousands of pounds.
It is understood that the BBC is looking into the allegations and that the star is not currently scheduled to air in the coming days.
The Sun said the young man’s family complained to the BBC on May 19.
The family is said to have become frustrated that the star was still on air and approached the newspaper, but said they did not want to pay for the story.
The mother told the newspaper that an unnamed individual, now 20, used money from the presenter to fund his cocaine addiction.
She described to the newspaper how her son went from a “happy, lucky young man to a crack addict like a ghost” in three years.
The group said the information would be “acted appropriately”.
A BBC spokesman said: “We take all allegations very seriously and we have processes in place to proactively address them.
“As part of that, if we receive information that requires further investigation or examination, we will take steps to do so. That includes actively trying to talk to people who have been. Contact us to learn more details and better understand the situation.
“If we don’t get a response to our efforts or get no further contact that may limit our ability to move things forward, but that doesn’t mean our requests stop. again.
“If, at any point, new information comes to light or is made available – including through the press – then this will be handled accordingly, in accordance with internal processes.”
Broadcaster Rylan Clark tweeted on Saturday that he was not the host in question, saying “it’s not me” and adding that he was filming in Italy for a show by BBC.
Private BBC Radio 2 presenter Jeremy Vine also stayed away from Sun’s story, saying the allegations were not about him.
He tweeted: “Just wanted to say I’m looking forward to hosting my radio show on Monday – no matter who the ‘BBC Presenter’ in the news, I have the same message for you as Rylan did before: definitely not I.”
BBC culture editor Katie Razzall said many questions remained unanswered, including how the corporation investigated the family’s complaint and whether the presenter, who has not been named, whether it is appropriate to continue broadcasting after a serious allegation is made.
The BBC’s statement appeared to suggest their initial investigation may have been thwarted due to a lack of response from the family, she said.
This allegation, if proven, means that the career of a popular BBC presenter could be over.
