Top BBC star who ‘paid child for sex pictures’ could be charged by cops 

The top BBC star who is accused of paying a child for sexual photos could face criminal charges and years behind bars, an expert says.

The well-known presenter allegedly gave the teen more than £35,000 for sordid images in a scandal that has rocked the national broadcaster.

The Sun exclusively revealed that the star was taken off air, and that the child’s mum saw images of him sitting on his sofa in his underpants.

Now Nazir Afzal, the former Chief Crown Prosecutor who led the prosecution in the Rochdale grooming gang cases, has told the Times the presenter could potentially be charged with sexual exploitation under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

He added: “The police should have been engaged as soon as they worked out whether the complaint was genuine.

“Where are we now — the middle of July? Six, seven weeks on.

“They should have advised the police that this is a matter that they should be investigating, and that should have been done weeks ago.

“There’s no justification for the police not having become involved as early as possible.”

Under the Protection of Children Act 1978, it is an offence to “make, distribute, possess or show any indecent images of anyone aged under 18”.