British comic Starr arrested in Savile abuse case

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For 20 years, Jimmy Savile's children's show was a highlight of Saturday night family TV on the BBC. But now, British police say 300 people have come forward with claims that Savile abused them during his 60-year broadcasting career. NBC's Annabel Roberts reports.By ReutersR. Poplowski / Getty ImagesJimmy Savile in 1973.LONDON -- British police arrested comedian Freddie Starr on Thursday as part of an investigation triggered by allegations that the late BBC presenter Jimmy Savile intercourseually abused hundreds of children, according to media reports.

Follow @NBCNewsWorld Police said in a statement they had arrested a man in his 60s on suspicion of intercourse offenses. The man was identified by Sky News and ITV News as Starr, who earlier had offered to talk to police.

The allegations have shaken Britain's state-funded broadcaster, with hundreds of people now coming forward to report abuse dating back over several decades by Savile, a household name in Britain.


Lawyers representing some of the victims have said their clients indicated an organized pedophile ring involving celebrities existed at the BBC during the height of Savile's fame in the 1970s and 1980s.

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