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Download A sex scandal gripping Britain's BBC deepened on Wednesday with claims that a pedophile ring had existed involving some of its stars, as its former director-general said his handling of the case shouldn't stop him becoming the boss of the New York Times. The BBC has been thrown into disarray by accusations it helped cover up sexual abuse by one of its most celebrated former presenters, Jimmy Savile, and has struggled to explain why one of its own shows killed an investigation into it. The broadcaster's current Director-General George Entwistle has been condemned for his handling of one of the worst crises in the corporation's 90-year history, and questions have also been raised about his predecessor Mark Thompson, who is set to take over at the New York Times next month. The British government warned the BBC on Wednesday that the scandal was raising "very real concerns" about public trust. "These allegations do leave many institutions, perhaps particularly the BBC, with serious questions to answer," Prime Minister David Cameron told parliament. Police and the BBC, which is funded by the public through an annual license fee, are looking into allegations that the eccentric, cigar-chomping Savile, who died last year, abused young girls over six decades. The BBC scandal has horrified Britain with revelations that Savile, a popular children's television presenter, cajoled and coerced vulnerable teens into having sex with him in his car, in his camper van and even in dingy dressing rooms on BBC premises. He is also accused of sexually assaulting disabled children at hospitals that he helped by raising charity funds. | 
