BBC Doc Details Sex Abuse Claims Against West Ham's
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- BBC Panorama's "Predator: The Billionaire Football Boss," a collaboration with The Times fronted by journalist Billy Kenber, investigates historical sexual misconduct allegations against outgoing West Ham owner David Sullivan
- Sullivan built his fortune in adult entertainment, served a prison sentence for "living off the immoral earnings of prostitutes," and owned the Sport newspapers, which published topless photos of schoolgirls on their 16th birthdays
- Sullivan has admitted paying for sex with a girl he believed to be "16 or 17" in the 1990s, an act that only became illegal in 2003
- Seven women have come forward, including "Florence," who alleges Sullivan proceeded with sex during a modelling assessment at his home despite her objections; Sullivan denies the allegations and says he intends to sue
- Tony Livesey, identified by Florence as her introducer to Sullivan, has been a BBC Radio 5 Live presenter for 15 years; he denies the allegations and claims key parts of his own book on the era were fictionalised
- The Football Association has launched a safeguarding enquiry, and West Ham say Sullivan stepped down before the documentary's publication
Why it matters: Seven women have gone on record with 1990s allegations against Sullivan — all from his adult entertainment and tabloid past, predating his West Ham tenure. The FA has opened a safeguarding enquiry and Sullivan threatens to sue, putting pressure on both football regulators and the BBC, which still employs accused intermediary Tony Livesey as a Radio 5 Live presenter.
