BBC reporter was a child sex offender

A BBC journalist was able to continue working for the Corporation despite being convicted of sexually abusing a child.

His bosses were totally ignorant of his confession to three child sex offences and his crimes only came to light when he sent a threatening Snapchat message to a woman he had been asked to interview. A relative alerted the BBC and, when the police were called in, officers discovered his convictions and told the Corporation.

The Mail on Sunday understands the case sent shockwaves through the Corporation with some bosses calling for every journalist to undergo a basic criminal records check with the Government’s Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). It is claimed the idea was fiercely opposed by other managers and has now been quietly shelved.

The journalist, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is understood to have been contracted to work on a freelance basis for BBC West Midlands. In May 2018, he was sentenced at Worcester Crown Court after pleading guilty to sexual activity with a child and two counts of attempting to incite a boy aged between 13 and 15 into sexual activity.

He received a community sentence, told to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for five years and served with an order banning him from activity likely to bring him into contact with under-16s.

A month later the journalist was convicted of racially or religiously aggravated harassment and an assault, but failed to disclose any of his convictions when he secured a new role working for the Corporation in London.

A BBC spokesman said the journalist did not work with children so did not need a DBS check, adding: ‘The BBC has strict rules relating to disclosure of convictions and adheres to all legislation. In this case, the convictions were not declared by the individual, but we immediately terminated the contract when we became aware of the facts. They will never work with us again.’