The man tasked with leading an internal investigation into claims made against a BBC star is a former detective who specialises in whistleblowing, sexual assault and fraud.
Jeff Brown has led the BBC’s corporate investigations team for more than six years but is unlikely to have grappled previously with such high-profile and sensitive allegations.
The family at the heart of the alleged scandal, who have accused the unidentified presenter of paying a teenager more than £35,000 over three years in return for explicit images, is said to have met Mr Brown on Friday.
They spent half an hour with him and are preparing to hand over a dossier of evidence, according to reports.
Specialist in ‘complex allegations’
Mr Brown has been head of corporate investigations at the BBC for three and a half years having worked as the team’s lead investigator for more than three years prior.
He describes himself on his LinkedIn page as an “accomplished, detail-oriented manager” who has achieved “notable success” in the field.
He says he is “positioned as the point of escalation” for the most serious investigations as well as “complex allegations of current and historic sexual assault/serious criminal wrongdoing.”
In recent years, he has developed the BBC’s whistleblowing process and has been helping victims to navigate the criminal process all the way to trial.
He is also responsible for preparing employees to give evidence in court, which he says has resulted in numerous convictions and has created a risk policy designed to increase staff safety and intelligence gathering.
Before joining the BBC, Mr Brown worked for the Metropolitan Police Service for almost 13 years, rising through the ranks to detective sergeant.
During his tenure, he oversaw high-profile cases on the murder team and worked with victims of domestic violence in the community safety unit.
After leaving the Met, he spent almost five years working in Canada, where he investigated human trafficking cases in the Halton Regional Police Service, Ontario.