British children's author investigated over grooming, assault allegations involving minors

British comedian and children’s author David Walliams is being investigated by London police over a series of alleged sexual offences. The investigation follows reports by leading British media houses stating that he used his celebrity status to groom teenage girls and young women.The Metropolitan Police said on Friday that it had received several allegations of non-recent sexual offences in recent days.

The force stressed that the complaints under investigation are separate from those detailed in a joint investigation by ITV News and The Guardian, but said officers would examine the media reports to establish whether they contained evidence of further offences.The allegations reported by the two outlets include claims that Walliams sexually assaulted a woman at his London home when she was 15 and groomed other girls while they were teenagers. The three-year investigation involved speaking to more than 100 people, the outlets said.Walliams, 55, has denied the allegations, insisting he had not broken the law and was not a sexual predator.