The case against DJ Tim Westwood has taken another turn as the Metropolitan Police launched a criminal investigation into the sexual assault allegations made against him.
According to a report from the Guardian, one of the allegations dates back 40 years. The outlet reports the Met’s central specialist crime unit is investigating four reports of historical offenses allegedly committed in London. The incidents allegedly occurred in 1982, 1985, 2010, and 2016.
The Met statement did not name Tim Westwood but reported on Thursday (Aug. 4): “Detectives from the Met’s Central Specialist Crime continue to investigate four reports relating to allegations of non-recent sexual offences allegedly committed by a man. The offenses are alleged to have occurred in London in 1982, 1985, 2010 and 2016. There have been no arrests, inquiries continue.”
The allegations against Tim Westwood came to light recently following a joint investigation by the Guardian and BBC News. The DJ stepped down from his show on Capital Xtra after several Black women made allegations of sexual misconduct and predatory behavior against him.
While Tim Westwood denied all of the claims against him, another ten Black women accused him of sexual abuse, sexual misconduct, and inappropriate behavior in July. One of these women claimed she was just 14 years old when the DJ first had sex with her. The incident is alleged to have occurred in the early 1990s when Tim Westwood was in his thirties.
The BBC Launch Internal Review Into Tim Westwood
Meanwhile, a BBC internal review found that the corporation ‘may have missed chances to explore concerns’ about Tim Westwood’s conduct. The DJ worked at BBC Radio 1 from 1994 to 2013.
Though the BBC director general, Tim Davie, initially said there was “no evidence of complaints” against the DJ, the review found otherwise. According to the Guardian, the BBC received several reports against him in 20212. These include two allegations of inappropriate behavior and sexual misconduct. An accusation was also made that Tim Westwood “created a toxic atmosphere amongst those he worked with at the BBC.”