BBC broadcaster falsely accused, gets damages

LONDON — Britain’s prosecution service has agreed to pay undisclosed damages to U.S.-born BBC broadcaster Paul Gambaccini over the way it handled unfounded sex-abuse allegations against him.

The Crown Prosecution Service says it and Gambaccini “have reached an agreement without admission of liability.”

A well-known music presenter, Gambaccini was arrested in 2013 and questioned by police investigating historical sexual abuse in the wake of revelations about the late BBC TV personality Jimmy Savile, a serial predator who abused hundreds of victims.

The following year, prosecutors said he would face no charges. Gambaccini sued the prosecution service, saying authorities had not made clear that the allegations were baseless and had wrongly suggested that his accusers were underage.