The Sun’s parent company has hired external lawyers to help investigate “very serious” allegations regarding Dan Wootton’s time at the tabloid, the Guardian has been told.

Wootton is facing allegations he used a pseudonym to secretly offer current and former Sun colleagues tens of thousands of pounds in return for sexual material.
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The presenter denied any illegal behaviour but he did not directly address whether he had ever sent emails using the name Martin Branning. It is claimed that this pseudonym was used during Wootton’s time at the Sun to approach many serving and former Sun employees with the offer of five-figure sums in return for performing sex acts on camera.

The Guardian has spoken to seven current and former Sun employees who say they received emails from Martin Branning – understood to be a portmanteau of EastEnders characters Martin Fowler and Max Branning. All claim they were offered large sums of money in return for pictures.

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2023/jul/19/news-uk-hires-lawyers-to-look-at-claims-against-former-sun-columnist