A top BBC star has allegedly been taken off air following allegations they paid a teenager over £35,000 ($45,000) for sexual images.
According to claims from The Sun, the "well-known presenter" allegedly began paying the vulnerable teen when they were 17 years old.
The presenter is alleged to have asked for "performances" from the individual in exchange for the sums of money, which the teen used to fund their crack cocaine habit.
The teen's mother told the publication: "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 the money for crack cocaine that could kill my child."
She added: "The money had been in exchange for sexually explicit photographs of my child," claiming that the star sent hundreds or thousands of pounds in each go, allegedly once depositing £5,000 ($6,400) in one installment.
The family is claimed to have made a formal complaint to the BBC in May, and begged the corporation to make the man "stop sending the cash".
The mother described her child, who is now 20, as having gone from a "happy-go-lucky youngster" to a "ghost-like crack addict" within the past three years.
She had approached The Sun to share her claims, telling the publication that she did not want payment but wanted the unnamed presenter to stop sending her child money for sexual photos.
She also claimed to have seen online bank statements from her child, which included several deposits from the star.
A spokesperson for the BBC told the publication in a statement: "We treat any allegations very seriously and we have processes in place to proactively deal with them.
"As part of that, if we receive information that requires further investigation or examination, we will take steps to 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, at any point, new information comes to light or is provided — including via newspapers — this will be acted upon appropriately, in line with internal processes."
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