An unsettling report out of the U.K. has the TV industry on edge. The Sun reports that a “well-known TV sports presenter” is under investigation for suspicion of raping a child. Due to the U.K.’s strict privacy laws around these kinds of serious accusations, the name of the accused presenter cannot yet be made public.
The News Corp-backed publication says the male television host is accused of raping a child under the age of 10 “on more than one occasion over a period of time.” The victim is said to be a female; her current age and, therefore, when the alleged crimes took place, has not been released.
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The on-screen sports personality was arrested last week after U.K. authorities raided his home, located in southern England, at 4 a.m. local time. They seized documents and computers during the investigation.
“The police turned up very early,” an anonymous neighbor told The Sun. “They took him away and were there for a while carrying out a search. … Everyone is shocked at his arrest.”
Detectives questioned the TV host for 18 hours; he was released on bail as the investigation into the alleged rapes continues.
The Sun notes that authorities notified the man’s superiors at his workplace of the investigation. However, due to the aforementioned U.K. privacy laws, the host’s peers in the TV industry have no way to know of the allegations.
PopCulture.com will provide updates on this case as they are made available to the public. (For a better understanding of why U.K. publications withhold names in sex crimes cases like this, we recommend reading up on Sir Cliff Richard OBE V The British Broadcasting Corporation.)
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Pictured: Jeff Probst. — Photo: Robert Voets/CBS
