BBC News reports that London’s Metropolitan Police have launched an investigation into BAFTA-winning performer and best-selling children’s book author David Walliams over sexual misconduct claims alleging that he used his position and power to groom and prey on young women and, in certain instances, underaged girls.
The Guardian and ITV published a bombshell investigation on Tuesday outing Walliams as the mysterious U.K. celebrity who had filed an injunction to keep the allegations against him private out of fear that he would harm himself. Walliams’ injunction request was rejected by a U.K. High Court judge, freeing The Guardian and ITV to publish their report about him and name him in it.
The outlets’ investigation includes accusations from multiple women that the former “Britain’s Got Talent” host used his cultural power to prey on them for sexual purposes. Most of the women accusing Walliams told The Guardian and ITV they were over the age of 18 when Walliams preyed on them. However, one of the women interviewed by the outlets claimed she was 15 when Walliams “invited her to his house and initiated sexual contact.”
The Met Police said they are investigating Walliams over reports of “alleged serious sexual offenses.” Law enforcement also told the BBC News that the allegations being investigated are separate from those included in ITV and The Guardian’s investigation.
“Detectives are also proactively reviewing that reporting to establish whether there is any evidence of offenses,” the Met noted. In a Friday statement, the London-based police department said it had “received a number of allegations of non-recent serious sexual offenses involving a man now in his 50s.”
“Those who have come forward are being supported by specialist officers,” the Met’s statement noted.
“We would encourage anyone who has been the victim of a sexual offense to come forward and speak to us, no matter when it happened,” Met Detective Superintendent Mike Cagney added. “We know reporting allegations of this nature can be daunting, but specialist officers are on hand to provide support, answer questions and guide you through the process.”
In the wake of The Guardian and ITV’s reporting, Walliams has publicly denied the allegations made against him.
“I am not a sexual predator,” he said in a statement earlier this week.
“Looking back, I realize that at times I behaved thoughtlessly towards other people I had casual sexual relationships with,” he continued. “I realize 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. 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.”
As part of his injunction bid, Walliams’ lawyers claimed he had tried to take his own life twice after being confronted by The Guardian and ITV regarding their investigation. His reps further claimed that the “highly likely” chances he would try to commit suicide were his identity to be revealed were not an indication of guilt but the result of fear of a “trial by media.”
