Doctor Who and the child molester

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• Publication: The Daily Telegraph (Australia)
• Date: 2013-03-26
• Author: Rebecca Evans
• Page: 23
• Language: English

THE BBC faces a new sex scandal over claims two senior Doctor Who staff abused their positions to exploit fans.

A book alleges the show's longest-serving producer, John Nathan-Turner, and his partner, production manager Gary Downie, preyed on young male fans in the 1980s.

Many of the men, the book said, were under 21.

Richard Marson, former editor on another long-running UK show Blue Peter makes the claims in his biography of Nathan-Turner, who died in 2002. In JN-T: the Life and Scandalous Times of John Nathan-Turner, Mr Marson said he was propositioned in 1984, aged 17, after visiting the studio for a Doctor Who Magazine article.

He writes: "He (Nathan-Turner) got a bit frisky, shall we say. I was a bit taken aback; I was only 17 and he said to me, 'You're so f... .. provincial'."

The next year, on the promise of Doctor Who photographs, Mr Marson visited the studio again. He said he was then assaulted by Downie, who died in 2006.

In another incident, Mr Marson said a wealthy fan supplied Nathan-Turner with male escorts in exchange for visits to the studio and souvenirs.

Both men were on the lookout for teenage fans to have sex with them because of Doctor Who -- dubbing fans of the sci-fi hit "do-able barkers". He said Nathan-Turner, producer from 1980-89, once engaged in a sexual act in his BBC office while on the phone to Blue Peter editor Biddy Baxter.

The accusations come in the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal, with fears the BBC DJ and Jim'll Fix It host sexually abused up to 450 adults and children. The BBC was accused of a cover-up after dropping a Newsnight investigation into Savile after his death in 2011.

The broadcaster has since established a review to hear evidence and to examine the culture of the institution.

Mr Marson said some people felt the men's behaviour was inappropriate, but were not willing to tell police. He writes: "It would not be true to say I've found anyone willing to testify to coercion or abuse."

He told online sci-fi magazine Starburst: "I don't think he (Nathan-Turner) was predatory. I was much more cautious about Gary."

A BBC spokesman said: "Clearly allegations of this nature are extremely serious."

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• APA 6th ed.: Evans, Rebecca (2013-03-26). Doctor Who and the child molester. The Daily Telegraph (Australia) p. 23.
• MLA 7th ed.: Evans, Rebecca. "Doctor Who and the child molester." The Daily Telegraph (Australia) [add city] 2013-03-26, 23. Print.
• Chicago 15th ed.: Evans, Rebecca. "Doctor Who and the child molester." The Daily Telegraph (Australia), edition, sec., 2013-03-26
• Turabian: Evans, Rebecca. "Doctor Who and the child molester." The Daily Telegraph (Australia), 2013-03-26, section, 23 edition.
• Wikipedia (this article): <ref>{{cite news| title=Doctor Who and the child molester | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Doctor_Who_and_the_child_molester | work=The Daily Telegraph (Australia) | pages=23 | date=2013-03-26 | via=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=19 April 2024 }}</ref>
• Wikipedia (this page): <ref>{{cite web | title=Doctor Who and the child molester | url=http://cuttingsarchive.org/index.php/Doctor_Who_and_the_child_molester | work=Doctor Who Cuttings Archive | accessdate=19 April 2024}}</ref>