‘Stunned by his arrest’: Major Brit TV star arrested on suspicion of abusing five underage boys

Trigger Warning: This article talks about sexual assault and abuse. Please take care while reading.

A British soap star has been arrested on suspicion of sexually abusing five underage boys with claims dating back to the 1990s.

According to The Sun, the actor cannot be named but is widely known for “major” roles in some of British television’s biggest shows. Although news of the arrest hadn’t been made public until now, it’s understood to have happened “early” this month. The actor, who denies all claims, was held for several hours before being released on bail.

The authorities reportedly found similarities between the accounts of the five alleged victims, who are now adults, and decided to search the man’s home, seizing computers and documents in search of evidence of the alleged abuses. His family and partner are said to have been “stunned” by the arrest.

People have tied the news to a twice-canceled Channel 4 Dispatches special

Without the actor’s identity being disclosed, speculation has run rampant on social media as the British public and soap fans alike try to connect the dots. Many have tied the reports to an episode of a popular investigative journalism program that has been delayed twice in the last two weeks.

“If even the sun isn’t naming them surely this is what the dispatches that keeps getting rescheduled is going to be about??,” one person commented on X, with many others sharing the same thought. “Must be who the dispatches was about… They’re trying to buy time with [Channel 4] so wouldn’t surprise me if they get their point across soon before [Channel 4] release the Dispatches,” another theorized.

This “special” episode of Channel 4’s Dispatches was initially set to air on Saturday, Oct. 19, before it was pushed to the Saturday after that. Then, mere hours before it was scheduled to go on air, it was delayed again. Per The Sun, it is now meant to drop Saturday, Nov. 2nd. Fans think the delays may be related to a possible gag order that has stopped the media from publicly naming the alleged perpetrator.

“They can’t name him yet so moved it to this Saturday?,” was one person’s theory. “Must be trying to bury it under court orders,” another agreed.

Sexual abuse in the entertainment industry

Ever since the #MeToo movement became viral in 2017, sexual abuse allegations and arrests in the entertainment industry have become more common as survivors feel more encouraged to come forward. While the most prolific cases in recent times have come from the U.S., most notably the allegations against rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs, film producer Harvey Weinstein, and socialite Jeffrey Epstein, this type of crime is prevalent in the U.K. too.

In October 2023, a University of York report revealed that “sexual harassment and abuse is still occurring in the industry despite the #MeToo movement and that some reports are being covered up, with staff exposed to further discrimination.” Those who did speak up, the report found, frequently experienced a loss of career opportunities as well as “feelings of shame and self-doubt, [and] panic attacks.”

A survey conducted by the UK’s Film and TV Charity earlier that same year concluded that 45% of professionals in managerial positions “did not feel equipped to deal with complaints of harassment, bullying, and discrimination,” per Screen Daily. Research leader Anna Bull told the outlet that the entertainment industry’s “steep workplace hierarchy” and the prevalence of men in positions of power could be conducive to this behavior.