Paul Ellis / AFP - Getty Images, file

British broadcaster Stuart Hall arrives at Preston Magistrates Court in northwest England on Jan. 7.

LONDON -- A BBC sports commentator and entertainer -- so popular that members of Britain's royal family once took part in his game show -- has been charged with raping a woman and indecently assaulting girls as young as nine, according to police.

Stuart Hall, 83, who was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth in 2012 for services to broadcasting and charity, was arrested Tuesday morning after going to a police station voluntarily. He had covered soccer for BBC Radio 5 Live until recently.

The Associated Press noted the allegations had deepened "concerns about sex abuse by top BBC personalities decades ago."

In 1999, more than 50 British lawmakers signed a motion in parliament to congratulate Hall for 40 years in television with one, Tom Pendry, describing him as an “icon with the youth of today.”

Hall, famed for laughing hysterically, has commentated on soccer matches since the 1950s. He is known for his off-the-wall approach to covering the sport.

He also hosted the comedy game show “It’s a Knockout” in the 1970s and 1980s.

In 1987, four members of the U.K. royal family – Prince Andrew, Princess Anne, Prince Edward and Sarah, Duchess of York -- took part in a one-off version of the show for charity, which was hosted by Hall. Stars such as Meatloaf, John Travolta and John Cleese also participated.

In a statement Tuesday, Lancashire Constabulary said Hall, of Wilmslow in Cheshire, England, was alleged to have raped a 22-year-old woman in 1976.

“The indecent assault offences are alleged to have been committed between 1967 and 1986 and to involve 10 girls aged between 9 and 16 years,” the statement said.

Hall was given bail Tuesday and is due to appear before a court in Preston on Feb. 7.

In December, police said Hall had been charged with three counts of indecent assault.

The charges against Hall come amid a string of claims that famous Britons committed sexual offenses, mostly during the 1960s and 1970s.

These came to light after it emerged that the late Jimmy Savile, who was one of Britain’s top entertainers for decades, was a prolific sex offender.

Earlier this month, police released a report cataloging more than 50 years of rapes and indecent assaults, saying he had committed at least 214 sex crimes against victims as young as 8.

Like Hall, Savile was also honored by the British queen, receiving a knighthood.

A number of other high-profile figures have been questioned by police, including former glam rock singer Gary Glitter and comedian Freddie Starr, who both deny any wrongdoing.

Related:

BBC legend Jimmy Savile committed at least 214 sex crimes, police say

'A steep fall' for BBC as child sex abuse scandal rocks the UK

LONDON -- The British Broadcasting Corp. is in the midst of its worst scandal in years, with the director general stepping down on Saturday.

With the public losing trust in one of Britain’s most trusted enterprises, Chris Patten, the chairman of the BBC Trust, has said the BBC’s organizational structure needed a “radical overhaul” and three top editors have stepped aside. Here’s a look at some of the issues surrounding the crisis at Britain's flagship broadcaster.

What is happening at the BBC?
The BBC has been rocked by scandal following the production of two news programs, one broadcast Nov. 2 that falsely accused a politician and another from 2011 that alleged child sexual abuse by a former star BBC host, but which never aired.

The director general of the BBC, George Entwistle, resigned Saturday amid the furor over how the world’s largest broadcaster has covered the scandal.

On Monday, Helen Boaden, director of BBC News, and her deputy Stephen Mitchell, stepped aside pending a review of the BBC’s handling of the crises. Earlier, the editor of the news program at the center of the scandal had said he would also step aside pending the result of an investigation.

Sweeping child abuse scandal shakes BBC, other UK institutions

The saga has also called into question the role played by the new New York Times Company chief executive, Mark Thompson, a former BBC director general.

Thompson was at the helm last year, when the BBC investigation into the alleged child sex abuse was dropped. He has said he did not know about the program's investigation and had no involvement in the decision to axe the report.

In a statement last month, quoted by The New York Times, Thompson said, “During my time as director general of the BBC, I never heard any allegations or received any complaints about Jimmy Savile.”

The BBC sent NBC News a prepared statement regarding Thompson’s knowledge of the affair:

“Mark Thompson has repeatedly made clear he had no personal knowledge of the allegations." (Click here for the BBC’s full statements on the affair)

How did this crisis begin?
The crisis for the BBC began when it emerged that its flagship news program, “Newsnight,” had decided in December 2011 not to air the results of an investigation into allegations that former BBC star Jimmy Savile had sexually abused children. Instead, the BBC aired a program celebrating the life of Savile, who had recently died. The accusations against Savile were only aired by rival broadcaster ITV in October 2012.

Jimmy Savile abuse scandal stuns Britain: a who's who primer

The number of alleged victims of Savile, a radio and TV star from the 1960s through the 1980s, reached well into the dozens in the aftermath of the ITV program. Meantime, a number of police and other investigations have been launched into why the original “Newsnight” program was dropped and whether the BBC was involved in a cover up.

On Nov. 2, “Newsnight” aired a separate program about allegations of abuse at a children’s home in Wales in the 1980s. In the broadcast, a witness claimed that he had been sexually abused a number of times by a senior Conservative Party politician.

'Ghastly mess' at BBC: Ex-chief's pay questioned, more quit amid sex scandal

“Newsnight” did not name the politician allegedly involved. But speculation on the Web suggested the abuser was former British Treasury minister Lord McAlpine, who issued a denial. The “Newsnight” witness then apologized for what he said was a case of mistaken identity. He said police had showed him a picture of his abuser but erroneously told him the man was McAlpine.

What investigations are under way?
In October, Entwistle announced two internal BBC investigations regarding the Savile sex abuse allegations.

The first will be led by Nick Pollard, the former head of Sky News, which is another rival U.K. broadcaster. That probe will examine whether there were any failings of the handling of the original “Newsnight” investigation into the claims against Savile.

A second investigation, led by former High Court Judge Dame Janet Smith, plans to examine the BBC culture during the Savile years.

Complete World coverage on NBCNews.com

In relation to the Wales abuse claims, Cameron said on Nov. 5 he was appointing a “senior independent figure” to investigate the way sexual abuse allegations were handled in the 1970s and 1980s. The next day, British Home Secretary Theresa May announced a new police investigation into the Wales accusations.

What is the BBC’s background?
Funded by an annual license fee levied on all TV viewers in Britain, the BBC employs around 22,000 people. As well as broadcasting in Britain, the BBC World Service has built an exceptional reputation around the globe reaching about 180 million people in 32 languages through its radio, TV and online services.

Disturbed by both the commercialism of American radio and the state controls imposed in the Soviet Union, the BBC's founding father, John Reith, had intended the BBC to educate, inform and entertain when it was founded in 1922.

NBC News staff and Reuters contributed to this report.

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LONDON -- The two most senior figures at BBC News “stepped aside” Monday, as the public broadcaster revealed that the corporation’s outgoing director general will get his full year’s salary of $715,000 despite resigning under pressure after 54 days in the post.

The chairman of the broadcaster's governing body described revelations about the BBC’s multiple missteps in reporting a historic child sex abuse scandal in Britain as a “ghastly mess” and said the BBC needed a “radical overhaul.”

Q&A: Crisis at the BBC

"The basis for the BBC's position in this country is the trust that people have in it," Chris Patten, a one-time senior figure in Cameron's Conservative Party and the last British governor of Hong Kong, told the BBC. "If the BBC loses that, it's over."

The widening scandal also had implications on the other side of the Atlantic: Mark Thompson, until recently the man in charge of the organization, takes over as CEO of The New York Times on Monday.

Thompson's successor as Director General, George Entwistle, resigned Saturday -- taking the blame for an editorial blunder in which flagship BBC program “Newsnight” aired false child sex abuse allegations against a former politician.

On Monday, Helen Boaden, the BBC’s director of news and current affairs, and her deputy Steve Mitchell, “stepped aside,” the BBC’s media correspondent Torin Douglas reported.

The BBC's press office said it could not yet confirm the report but the BBC said on its own news website that there would be an announcement later in the day.

The BBC faces police and other investigations into claims that hundreds of people, some as young as 12, were sexually abused over the course of decades by one of their top personalities, the late Jimmy Savile.

It is also facing awkward questions over how the same "Newsnight" program chose not to air a report last year that investigated complaints against Savile. 

Payout
The BBC's governing body confirmed that Entwistle would get a payout of $715,000. It said the settlement took into consideration that Entwistle would continue working on BBC business, including two inquiries in the child abuse scandal.

The U.K. government quickly signaled its displeasure at the payout, with minister Maria Miller saying: "This is a large amount of money, and tough to justify considering the circumstances of Mr. Entwistle's departure."

John Whittingdale, chairman of the House of Commons committee on culture, media and sport, said he was surprised by the settlement and has sought an explanation.

Sweeping child abuse scandal shakes BBC and other UK institutions

“My immediate reaction is that it cannot be justified but I will want to hear exactly why they think it is appropriate. ... I think almost everybody hearing this news will say 'how can somebody who has had to leave in these circumstances, as a result of a serious failure, nevertheless get a whole year's salary,'” Whittingdale said.

Opposition politician Harriet Harman said the payout “looked like a reward for failure,” according to a BBC report.

The BBC said Entistle's contract stipulated that he receive six months' salary, but that sum was doubled in order to ensure a speedy departure and transition.

Former minister David Mellor has criticized Entwistle as having the "leadership skills of Winnie the Pooh," according to The Telegraph.

Incoming New York Times chief in spotlight
Thompson, the new CEO of the New York Times, said he did not know about the nature of the investigation by "Newsnight" into Savile, and had no involvement in the decision to drop the report, which occurred while he was director general.

He later said he had a "chance meeting" with a journalist who mentioned the Newsnight investigation into Savile, but said he had not been told any of the details or the scale of the problem.

Complete Europe coverage on NBCNews.com

Entwistle's departure and his acceptance of responsibility for editorial decisions as director general, adds pressure to any evaluation of Thompson's role at the BBC and whether he was ultimately accountable for the shelving of the Savile report.

Thompson did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding Entwistle's resignation. Earlier, he declined to be interviewed about his plans for the New York Times, Reuters reported.

'Auntie'
The BBC, celebrating its 90th anniversary, is affectionately known in Britain as "Auntie," and respected around much of the world.

But with 22,000 staff working at eight national TV channels, 50 radio stations and an extensive Internet operation, critics say it is hampered by a complex and overly bureaucratic and hierarchical management structure.

Complete World coverage on NBCNews.com

Funded by an annual license fee levied on all TV viewers, the BBC has also long been resented by its commercial rivals, who argue it has an unfair advantage and distorts the market.

Rupert Murdoch's Sun tabloid gleefully reported Entwistle's departure with the headline "Bye Bye Chump."

Murdoch, whose own News Corp. is at the center of a recent phone-hacking scandal, was watching from afar.

“BBC mess gives Cameron golden opportunity properly to reorganize great public broadcaster,” he wrote on Twitter on Sunday.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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R. Poplowski / Fox Photos via Getty Images

Jimmy Savile, seen here in 1973, was later knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for services to charity and entertainment and received a papal knighthood from Pope John Paul II.

For decades, Jimmy Savile was one of the biggest personalities on Britain’s airwaves. 

With his trademark fat cigar and garish tracksuits, he was the larger-than-life character who combined popular appeal, eccentricity and a reputation for charity work.

For 40 years, he dominated the British Broadcasting Corporation’s programming both on radio and TV.  He was the original host of BBC TV’s iconic music show “Top of the Pops,” which aired from 1964 until 2006, and his family-oriented primetime show “Jim'll Fix It” was a regular ratings-topper for the network.

Savile also championed a host of good causes and was often pictured on sponsored runs. His efforts raised millions and helped establish a national spinal injuries center at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, one of the largest specialist spinal units in the world.  He worked as a volunteer porter at a number of hospitals, including Leeds General Infirmary in his home city, and the high-security psychiatric facility at Broadmoor Hospital, southwest of London. 

'A steep fall' for BBC as child sex abuse scandal rocks the UK

He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1990 for services to charity and entertainment, and in the same year received a papal knighthood from Pope John Paul II.

But soon after his death in October 2011, just two days before his 85^th birthday, allegations emerged that Savile had used his notoriety and good works to fuel his life as a pedophile.

He was accused of using his fame to coerce teens into having sex with him in his car, his camper and even his BBC dressing rooms.

More coverage of the Jimmy Savile scandal from NBC News' British partner ITV News 

It was also alleged he chose to work for charities caring for troubled youths to enable him to prey on those already in a vulnerable position -- and whose credibility would be questioned if they ever accused him of sexual abuse.

In some of the most disturbing accusations, Savile was described abusing young people in their hospital beds. 

As the revelations unfolded, it emerged that rumors and allegations of Savile’s predatory lifestyle had first surfaced years before.  

Police said an allegation was made in 2003 dating back to the 1970s of his "inappropriate touching" but the information had been treated as "intelligence" rather than the basis for a prosecution, because the accuser did not want to take legal action.

A number of investigations are now taking place into how Savile could, in the words of police, "have hidden in plain sight" for so long.

Carole Wells

In 1973, Carole Wells was a 14-year-old student of Duncroft Approved School for Girls (a special facility for young people, much like a reform school) on the outskirts of London.

In an interview with the Guardian newspaper, she said Savile would regularly visit Duncroft, offering girls candy, clothes, tickets to BBC shows and to take them for a ride in his car.

Wells described to the newspaper how on one such excursion, Savile sexually abused her, fondling her and saying 'I can tell you are a virgin.’

When she reported the incident to school authorities, she said she was told: "Don't be stupid. Don't say things like that."

Wells is one of the few victims to waive anonymity, and she was involved in the original "Newsnight" investigation. 

BBC

The broadcaster found itself at the heart of the Savile scandal on two specific charges. Firstly, that it was not sufficiently rigorous in investigating rumors of his abuse when they first circulated around the corporation decades ago. Secondly, that a news item into allegations of Savile’s behavior, which was being prepared by its "Newsnight" TV program in November 2011, had been axed without good cause -- possibly because it compromised a tribute to Savile the network had planned for its Christmas schedule.

The BBC announced two independent inquiries in the immediate wake of the allegations. One, the Pollard Review, would look into the circumstances surrounding the "Newsnight" item. The other, chaired by a former judge Dame Janet Smith, would review "the culture and practices of the BBC during the years that Jimmy Savile worked at the BBC."

The BBC is overseen by the BBC Trust but operational management is governed by a separate body, the Executive Board, led by the Director-General.

Lefteris Pitarakis / AP

George Entwistle, the BBC's director-general, speaks to reporters on Oct. 23.

George Entwistle

The current BBC director-general, Entwistle appeared before a committee of parliamentarians on October 23, where he was quizzed over what he knew – and when – about the decision to pull the "Newsnight" segment.

His performance was roundly condemned by the British press and committee members commented on his "extraordinary lack of curiosity." 

At the hearing, Entwistle revealed further allegations of harassment at the BBC had been made.  In a statement, the BBC said that nine former and current BBC staff and contributors, including Jimmy Savile, had been named by alleged victims.

Peter Rippon

On October 22 it was announced Rippon, the editor of BBC "Newsnight," had "stepped aside" from his duties after errors were identified in his account of why the Savile item had been shelved. In his blog Rippon had written, “We had no evidence that anyone from the Duncroft home could or should have known about the allegations. We had no evidence against the BBC.”

In a correction published October 22 the BBC said neither assertion was correct.

Gonzalo Fuentes

Mark Thompson was director-general of the BBC from 2004 until September.

Mark Thompson

The former BBC director-general and incoming CEO of The New York Times received robust support from the newspaper’s chairman and publisher Arthur Sulzberger Jr., who said he was satisfied that Thompson had no role in the decision to scrap the BBC "Newsnight" item.

Thompson, who was director-general from 2004 until September, told Britain's Times newspaper he had “formed the impression” in December 2011 that "Newsnight" was investigating allegations of sex abuse against Savile.

According to The New York Times, Thompson said he didn't know about the investigative segment until after it was canceled and had no role in canceling it.

Operation Yewtree

By October 25, 2012, Scotland Yard’s criminal inquiry into the Savile scandal had heard from 300 alleged victims. Detectives had interviewed 130 people; all but two of those claiming to have been abused had been female.

The officer in charge, Cmdr. Peter Spindler, acknowledged his team of detectives had been stunned by the volume of abuse allegations.

Spindler said the allegations they had received divided into three categories: “There's Savile on his own...there's Savile and others. Then there is a third category which is 'others,'" Spindler said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Hulton Archive via Getty Images

English disc jockey, television broadcaster and charity worker Jimmy Savile on April 17, 1974, with some of the children who were going to take part in his show 'Jim'll Fix It' on BBC television.

LONDON - Sit down children and let me tell you a story. Once upon a time there was an eccentric disc-jockey and TV presenter with long golden hair who became a favorite with families all around the United Kingdom.

For years he presented a massively popular kids’ TV show where this kind and gentle man helped children achieve the stuff of their dreams. It was called “Jim’ll Fix It.” It had a catchy theme tune I can still whistle.

He smoked big cigars, wore outlandish suits, ran marathons and raised millions for charity. In recognition of his good work, he was knighted by the queen. Arise Sir Jimmy Savile.

When he died, doctors and nurses lined the streets near their hospital to pay homage to this larger-than-life philanthropist as his cortege drove through his home town.

The fairy tale was over.

But now it has emerged it was a nightmare all along.

For it turns out that Uncle Jim was very likely a sexual pervert -- a man who systematically sought out young girls and abused them over decades, all while hiding under the guise of being one of the biggest and nicest celebrities in the country.

Samir Hussein / WireImage via Getty Images, file

Sir Jimmy Savile attends the ceremony to name Cunard's new cruise-liner Queen Elizabeth II in Southampton Docks Oct. 11, 2010 in Southampton, England.

To get the enormity of this, imagine Captain Kangaroo standing accused today of being a sexual predator.

'Everyone' knew
The revelations burst into the public consciousness last week, and every day since the headlines have revealed claims of more and more lurid behavior -- much of it taking place under the noses of the authorities, including the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the country's highly respected public broadcaster.

It’s alleged that for years Savile took underage girls into his dressing room at the BBC -- and that “everyone” knew what was going on. No-one did anything.

ITV News: TV star says 'Savile's hands were everywhere, just lingering'

Savile’s supposed good works included working as a porter and fundraiser in major medical facilities. Now, he’s said even to have abused children as they lay in their hospital beds. 

I bumped into him myself when I went to the hospital with my kids.  He was charming, and they were thrilled to see him. There was not a hint of anything to cause me – a protective dad – any concern.  Quite the opposite. It was easy to be star-struck by his apparent warmth.

Across Britain, 11 police forces are now investigating up to 40 allegations of abuse by victims who were as young as 13. There are calls to strip him of his knighthood.

Too late. Savile died last year at the age of 84.  A showman to the end, he was buried in a gold coffin and laid to rest at an angle of 45 degrees so he could have a view out to sea.

Phil Noble / Reuters

Floral tributes and a piece of turf mark the spot where the headstone was removed from Jimmy Savile's grave.

His gravestone -- actually three of them side-by-side -- was, like Savile, flamboyant and larger than life.  He penned his own epitaph, written in gold leaf on the polished granite stone: “It was good while it lasted.”

Well, no it wasn’t, Sir Jimmy. It was awful, and it should have been stopped before you could hurt so many unsuspecting, trustful youngsters.

The investigations will go on. The BBC has promised to dig into his past -- and their own apparent failure over years to stop him. Prime Minister David Cameron has spoken of his concerns.

This week Savile’s gravestone was dismantled in the early morning gloom “out of respect to public opinion, and to those who are buried there and to those who tend their graves.”

It was broken into pieces and will be ground down and used as landfill. Dust to dust.

His epitaph is gone with it. Instead of the fame he so craved and enjoyed, and in spite of the millions he raised for charity, he will be remembered as a monster who molested kids.

So much for the fairy tale.

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