The allegations span decades when Sullivan made a fortune from pornography, newspapers and football.
All come from women who were in their late teens or early twenties and were young models seeking work at Sullivan’s Daily and Sunday Sport newspapers.
The BBC and Times investigation also revealed that eight women, including one who was part of the investigation, have gone to the police with disclosures about Sullivan’s conduct. None of those cases have resulted in charges.
The Metropolitan Police said it takes such allegations “extremely seriously” and “any information or evidence provided to police will be assessed and the appropriate enquiries carried out”.
The Independent Football Regulator said it contacted West Ham over “extremely serious allegations” raised about Sullivan and said it was seeking “urgent information” from him about his suitability for the role.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s spokesperson called the women’s accounts “harrowing”.
Labour MP Alex Davies-Jones, the former victims minister and Labour MP, said she was “horrified but sadly not surprised when she first heard of the allegations against David Sullivan”.
She called for a review of how the police have handled disclosures made about Sullivan, and into what action had been taken by the FA and West Ham.