The Drum Awards for Marketing - Extended Deadline

-d -h -min -sec

Jimmy Savile Rolf Harris

The Sun names Rolf Harris as historic sex abuse suspect as Jimmy Savile investigation proceeds

Author

By John Glenday, Reporter

April 19, 2013 | 2 min read

The Sun has become the first national newspaper to name Australian entertainer Rolf Harris as being held by police under suspicion of historic child sex offences.

In a ‘world exclusive’ the tabloid reports that officers have been quizzing Harris on the allegations for the over four months since he first presented himself to a South London police station by appointment on 29 November.

He was then arrested on 28 March on suspicion of sexual offences, although these are not thought to be linked to the ongoing Jimmy Savile investigation.

Harris continues to be a prominent fixture on British television with Rolf’s Animal Clinic, broadcast by Channel 5, watched by over a million on Wednesday evening and is said to vehemently deny the allegations.

The Sun reports that Harris has been named by ‘hundreds of thousands’ of social media users since the allegations first emerged; including a Surrey police detective who helped expose Jimmy Savile, and through comments made publicly by comedian Russell Brand.

Scotland Yard continue to refuse to reveal the identity of the individual involved, with a spokesperson saying only that: “An 82-year-old man from Berkshire was arrested by officers on Operation Yewtree on suspicion of sexual offences.

“He has been bailed to a date in May pending further enquiries. The individual falls under the strand of the investigation we have termed ‘others’.”

A host of celebrities have recently become embroiled in similar allegations; including Freddie Starr, Jim Davidson, Dave Lee Travis, PR guru Max Clifford, although all deny wrongdoing.

Since publishing its article, The Daily Mail and the BBC have since followed The Sun's lead in naming Harris as the man arrested.

Jimmy Savile Rolf Harris

More from Jimmy Savile

View all

Trending

Industry insights

View all
Add your own content +