Former BBC Radio 1 DJ Tim Westwood appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Monday facing multiple charges of rape and sexual assault. The 68-year-old was granted conditional bail and will next appear at Southwark Crown Court on December 8.
Westwood faces 15 charges in total: four counts of rape, nine counts of indecent assault, and two counts of sexual assault. The alleged offences involve seven women and span from 1983 to 2016. Prosecutors allege incidents occurred at various locations including BBC studios in the 1990s, a London hotel in 1996, and venues in Fulham, Vauxhall, Stroud, and Finchley. Some accusers were as young as 17 at the time of the alleged incidents.
Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring granted Westwood bail on the condition that he does not contact prosecution witnesses. Westwood, who returned to the UK from Nigeria last week, had previously attended five voluntary police interviews as part of the investigation. He spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth, and address during the brief five-minute hearing.
Police and BBC Response
Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy of the Metropolitan Police acknowledged the accusers' courage. «It takes courage to come forward and report allegations of this nature,» he said. «The women who have done so have put their trust in us and we continue to provide them with all available support. Our investigation remains open and we'd encourage anyone who has been impacted by this case, or anyone with information, to come forward and speak with us.»
The BBC Board has apologized following a review that found the corporation «did not take adequate action» after being informed of concerns about Westwood's alleged behaviour. Westwood has previously stated he «strongly denies all allegations of inappropriate behaviour».
Westwood worked at BBC Radio 1 and Radio 1Xtra for nearly 20 years from 1994 until 2013. He later hosted a Saturday show on Capital Xtra until stepping down in April 2022. He also presented MTV UK's Pimp My Ride UK from 2005 to 2007.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
