London police open criminal probe into author David Walliams
Police say they have received several historic allegations involving a man in his 50s, while Walliams denies wrongdoing and has not been arrested.
London's Metropolitan Police have launched a criminal investigation into author David Walliams over allegations of serious sexual offenses, Turkey's state-run news agency Anadolu Agency reported on Friday, citing The Guardian.
The inquiry covers complaints separate from a joint investigation by The Guardian and ITV News published earlier this week, and detectives are also reviewing those media reports for possible evidence of crimes.
Walliams, 55, rejects the accusations, which include claims that he used his celebrity to target teenagers and pressure young women into sexual relationships.
"I am not a sexual predator. I have not broken the law," Walliams said in a written response to the media investigation.
The Metropolitan Police said in a statement that they had recently received several historic allegations involving a man now in his 50s.
Police have not named the person under investigation, in line with their policy, and have withheld locations and dates to protect complainants, who are entitled to lifelong anonymity.
The newspaper reported that some of the allegations date to the 2000s and that at least some complainants came forward this week.
Detective Superintendent Mike Cagney, whose complex sexual offenses unit is leading the investigation, urged anyone who has suffered a sexual offense to contact police, whenever it occurred.
He said specialist officers could offer support and explain how the reporting process works.
The Guardian and ITV News published their investigation after Walliams failed in a legal bid to stop it, and it included accounts from two women who said they first met him when they were 15.
The women said they believed he had groomed them, a claim Walliams has denied, along with any suggestion that he abused his position.
In his written response, Walliams said he regretted sometimes behaving thoughtlessly in casual sexual relationships and failing to consider others' feelings, but he rejected claims that he exploited his fame.
The newspaper reported that Walliams has not been arrested and that his literary agency dropped him, the BBC began removing some of his programs from iPlayer, and the Labour Party suspended his membership.