The Metropolitan Police has launched an investigation into TV star David Walliams after receiving “a number of allegations of non-recent serious sexual offences” against him.
Women have spoken out with claims going back as far as 2003 that the TV star and author abused his power and position for sexual purposes on a number of occasions, with teenagers and other “vulnerable” women.
Police contact media outlets
On Tuesday police said they had spoken to ITN News and the Guardian, who carried out their own three-year investigation. The Metropolitan Police confirmed at the time they wanted to "ensure that any potential victims" are "made aware of how they could report any criminal allegations to police", after the sexual misconduct claims were made.
The best-selling author and former Britain's Got Talent judge has been named as part of an investigation involving accusations of grooming teenage girls as young as 15 and abusing his position to pursue women.
Culture Secretary responds
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said the claims were the "latest in a long line of reported abuses of power" while comedian Lucy Beaumont called for better industry safeguarding processes.
Walliams, 55, has denied any wrongdoing and tried to obtain an injunction to prevent the reporting of allegations against him. He is yet to comment further since the publication of his name on Tuesday.
Walliams denies wrongdoing
Responding to the investigation, David Walliams said: "Looking back, I realise that at times I behaved thoughtlessly towards other people I had casual sexual relationships with.
"I realise I did not always take people’s feelings properly into account. That is something I regret.
"And whilst a power imbalance is inevitable when one party is famous, abusing that power is something else entirely and it is something that I never did."
He added: "I am not a sexual predator. I have not broken the law, but I am devastated that some of the women I met 10 to 20 years ago have now expressed hurt or anger towards me."
One woman described her alleged encounter with Walliams, when she was 15, as a "sexual assault", while multiple women accused him of "grooming" them as teenagers.
Industry action pledged
Ms Nandy pledged she would be meeting with senior media and entertainment industry members to "draw a line in the sand".
She added: "A decade and a half on from the revelations about Jimmy Savile and 10 years on from the Me Too movement, we must finally take meaningful steps to end abuse and harassment in sectors where the power imbalances are huge and careers are built on contacts and reputation."
The Culture Secretary's comments also came the same week comedian Russell Brand was sentenced to 10-and-a-half-years behind bars for rape and sexual assault.
