The Metropolitan Police Service said it is “assessing information” after meeting BBC broadcast bosses over claims that a high-profile presenter paid a teenager for explicit photos.
The force said there was “no investigation” into the matter at present but further inquiries were under way to establish whether there was evidence of a criminal offence.
Police and BBC bosses met following claims that the family of the young person, now aged 20, first reported the allegations in May – more than seven weeks before the presenter was suspended.
A statement said: “Detectives from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command met with representatives from the BBC on the morning of Monday, 10 July. The meeting took place virtually.
“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.
“There is no investigation at this time.”
Last week, The Sun published allegations that the unnamed “household name” paid the teenager more than £35,000 in return for sexually explicit images over a three-year period from 2020.
The family of the teenager made a complaint to the BBC on Friday 19 May, reportedly asking the corporation to make the man “stop sending the cash”.
However, the broadcaster was still on air a month later and the youth received another payment of £1,000, according to The Sun.
Pressure has mounted on the BBC to act after the presenter was taken off air and then suspended on Sunday.
It is an offence to take, distribute, possess, or create indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of individuals under the age of 18 under the Protection of Children Act 1978.
People found guilty of making or possessing indecent images of children can be sentenced to a penalty of 10 years in prison.
No formal investigation is under way at present.
The Sun published further allegations on Sunday evening saying the presenter called the individual to ask: “What have you done?”
The newspaper claimed the presenter made “panicked” calls to the young person last week and asked them to ring their mother to get her to “stop the investigation”.
The BBC put out a statement saying the situation was “complex and fast-moving” and it was “working as quickly as possible to establish the facts”.
The statement continued: “New allegations were put to us on Thursday of a different nature and in addition to our own enquiries we have also been in touch with external authorities, in line with our protocols.”
