London police said Friday that they are investigating children's author and comedian David Walliams for serious sexual offenses after news outlets reported that he used his fame to groom girls and young women for sex.

The Metropolitan Police said it had received a number of allegations of abuse in the past after a joint investigation by ITV News and the Guardian newspaper.

One woman in the reports said she was sexually assaulted by Walliams at his London home when she was 15, while others accused him of grooming them when they were teens.