Billionaire businessman David Sullivan, who stepped down as chairman of West Ham on Saturday over allegations of improper conduct, is facing further scrutiny following a joint investigation by the BBC and The Times.
A number of accusations have been made against him, all from women who were models seeking work at the Daily and Sunday Sport newspapers.
Sullivan, who made his fortune from the pornography industry, denies the claims and says: "The false allegations levelled against me have been sensationalised by the media. After a lifetime spent building businesses in the adult industry in which I have met thousands of women, it is sadly inevitable that a small number of improper conduct claims are being made against me. I categorically deny these claims."
A spokesperson for the Independent Football Regulator (IFR) said: "These are extremely serious allegations.
"We are in contact with West Ham on this matter and will use our statutory powers to seek urgent information from David Sullivan relating to his suitability under our Owners, Directors and Senior Executives regime.
"We are unable to comment further at this stage."
Your Site News understands that IFR holds the power to intervene if credible concerns arise regarding existing owners.
Should that criteria be met, the IRF can order a cease of ownership, disqualify them from owning the club or, in extreme cases, order the sale of the club.
The Metropolitan Police said they were investigating a report relating to the "alleged taking of indecent images and sexual exploitation at locations in London and Essex in the 1980s".
The force said this investigation related to one alleged victim and was being led by specialist detectives from the Met's Rape and Serious Sexual Offences team.
Scotland Yard said: "We take all allegations of offences against women and girls extremely seriously, no matter the length of time that has passed.
"As with all cases, any information or evidence provided to police will be assessed and the appropriate inquiries carried out.
"In recent years, we have been working closely with partners across the criminal justice system to ensure that victim-survivors are at the heart of our response, with a greater focus on suspects and their offending.
"We would encourage any victims of sexual offences to come forward and speak to us on 101, or 999 in an emergency."
A Department for Culture, Media and Sport spokesman said: "These deeply concerning allegations must be treated with the utmost seriousness and be investigated by the relevant authorities, with victims given the support they need.
"The Government stands strongly against any form of harassment or abuse of power in the workplace and is working across industries to stamp it out and build an environment where people feel safe and able to challenge inappropriate behaviour."
The 77-year-old had been on the board at West Ham for over 16 years before stepping down.
West Ham were relegated from the Premier League last month.
