BBC 'unaware' rapper invited onto Annie Mac show was convicted paedophile

Bonkaz was convicted of “groping a 13-year-old girl’s bottom” in 2010

Bonkaz with Annie Mac (BBC)

The BBC has come under fire for inviting a ‘paedophile rap star’ onto a Radio 1 show.

Croydon rap star Bonkaz - real name Taylor Harris - was invited onto Annie Mac’s show as his single was awarded her “hottest record in the world” accolade in October last year.

However, it has since been alleged by The Mirror that Harris previously “spent six weeks in jail and was put on the sex offenders register for seven years” for an offence in 2010.

After a Google search, an article from the Croydon Guardian reveals that the then 19-year-old Harris was put in prison for “groping a 13-year-old girl’s bottom”. He was sentenced on 7 June that year.

Bonkaz

However, the BBC has claimed they were unaware of the rapper’s personal history: “We weren’t aware of Bonkaz’s personal history ­before he became a rapper and would expect anything of this nature to be flagged by an artist’s management,” a spokesperson told The Independent.

“There are no tracks by Bonkaz ­currently on the playlist. Our child protection policy states that all young people must be accompanied by a ­responsible adult, such as a parent or professional chaperone, at all times whilst on BBC premises.”

A source reportedly told The Mirror: “This is a huge blunder by the BBC. With all the heat surrounding paedophilia, it is beyond belief that bosses rolled out the red carpet to a man with a conviction of this kind.”

Under the name Bonkaz, Harris has amassed a large following, his videos having been viewed upwards of a million times on YouTube. He was also invited to the MOBO awards last November, having been nominated for best new artist.