Ex BBC driver first person charged in Savile sex scandal

 
3 April 2013
WEST END FINAL

Get our award-winning daily news email featuring exclusive stories, opinion and expert analysis

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

A former BBC driver has become the first person to be charged with offences in the investigation linked to the Jimmy Savile sex abuse scandal.

David Smith, 66, of Lewisham, has been charged with five sex offences relating to a single victim allegedly committed in 1984.

He is accused of two counts of indecent assault, two of gross indecency and one of buggery, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

He is the first person to be charged under Operation Yewtree, the national investigation prompted after claims were made against disgraced TV presenter Savile.

A BBC correspondent said Smith was a chauffeur who drove for the BBC though it was not clear his alleged offences occurred while he was employed by the corporation.

The driver was apparently employed as a chauffeur for various BBC programmes. The BBC said it could not comment.

So far a total of 11 men have been arrested in connection with the sex scandal surrounding Savile.

A report into Savile’s activities has found he abused adults and children across the country over more than five decades. The NSPCC said Savile, who was 84 when he died, had been one of the most prolific sex offenders in its 129-year history.

When Smith was arrested the Met said it was under the strand of the operation looking at complaints against people not connected to the late DJ.

Alison Saunders, Chief Crown Prosecutor for CPS London, said the CPS had carefully considered the evidence against Smith and concluded “there is sufficient evidence for a realistic prospect of conviction, and that it is in the public interest for David Smith to be charged with five offences."

The charges are two counts of indecent assault on a boy under 14 between June 1 and July 21 1984; two counts of gross indecency with a boy under 14 between the same dates and buggery of a boy under 16 between July 1 and 21 1984.

Smith, who was arrested in December last year, will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on May 8.

The charge comes amid criticism of the Yard’s Yewtree inquiry with some describing it as a 'celebrity witch-hunt'.

Last week an 82-year-old celebrity became the latest person to be arrested by officers involved in the Yewtree inquiry.

Former BBC producer Wilfred De'Ath, 75, one of the 11 men arrested, was cleared last week of an allegation dating back to 1965.

Mr De’Ath, who spent four months on bail, accused police of being 'overzealous', pursuing 'spurious' claims, and failing 'lamentably' to stop Savile's reign of terror while he was still alive.

Celebrities to have been arrested so far have included Jim Davidson, PR guru Max Clifford, DJ Dave Lee Travis and disgraced pop star Gary Glitter, all of whom deny wrongdoing.

The police operation, which has 30 dedicated detectives, has been criticised by some as a 'celebrity witch-hunt'.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in