David Walliams Under Investigation by U.K. Police Over Alleged “Serious Sexual Offenses”

David Walliams, the BAFTA-winning comedian and bestselling children’s author, is under investigation by London’s Metropolitan Police over “alleged serious sexual offenses.”

BBC News has reported that the Met investigation is separate from the bombshell accusations Walliams faces in a joint report by ITV News and The Guardian released this week.

Tuesday’s report detailed accusations of sexual assault and grooming by several women, some of whom allege they were as young as 15 when the interactions took place.

Walliams, best known for roles in Little Britain, Come Fly With Me and as a judge on Britain’s Got Talent, had sought an injunction to prevent the two news organizations from publishing his identity, over fears that he would be “highly likely” to kill himself. He maintained that the suicide risk is not attributed to any wrongdoing but to what his lawyers described as “trial by media.” His lawyers have said that Walliams has already tried to take his own life twice.

The injunction request was later rejected by a High Court judge, after which the British press has been free to publish Walliams’ identity.

He vehemently denied the allegations and told ITV News and The Guardian: “I am not a sexual predator… I have not broken the law, but I am devastated that some of the women I met 10 to 20 years ago have now expressed hurt or anger towards me. […] Looking back, I realize that at times I behaved thoughtlessly towards other people I had casual sexual relationships with. I realize I did not always take people’s feelings properly into account. That is something I regret. And whilst a power imbalance is inevitable when one party is famous, abusing that power is something else entirely and it is something that I never did.”

The Hollywood Reporter reached out to his reps for comment this week.