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Actor Elijah Wood has said Hollywood has its own Jimmy Savile abuse scandal waiting to be exposed.

The former child star - who is best known for starring in the Lord of the Rings trilogy as hobbit Frodo Baggins - has revealed that he was protected from the abuse by his mother, and believes the industry has its own Savile style revelations waiting to be exposed.

"You all grew up with Savile, Jesus, it must have been devastating," he told the Sunday Times.

Savile abused hundreds of victims over his career, while hiding behind his charity work and fame in order to do it . It was only after his death that his victims were able to speak the truth.

(Image: PA)

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"Clearly something major was going on in Hollywood. It was all organised. There are a lot of vipers in this industry, people who only have their own interests in mind. There is darkness in the underbelly - if you can imagine it, it's probably happened."

He went on to say that the victims of abuse cannot speak as loudly as the powerful abusers, and that it's a 'tragedy' what went on but that he was protected by his mother.

"She was far more concerned with raising me to be a good human than facilitating my career."

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Infamous cases like those of the two Coreys - Haim and Feldman - arguably the biggest child stars of the 1980s with their films and television shows bringing in huge audiences, brought the shocking claims to front pages everywhere.

Actor Corey Feldman spoke out about the abuse he suffered in the industry in his autobiography Coreyography: A Memoir.

"The No 1 problem in Hollwood was and is - and always will be - paedophilia," he wrote before describing how he was 'surrounded by molesters'.

The actor also revealed how his first meeting with his eventual co-star and friend, Corey Haim, was marred by the abuse Haim had suffered.

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"An adult male had convinced Corey that it was perfectly normal for older men and younger boys in the business to have sexual relations.

"So they walked off to a secluded area between two trailers... and Haim allowed himself to be sodomised."

Haim and Feldman both suffered mental health problems, drug addiction and alcoholism due to the abuse, with Haim dying from pneumonia in 2010.

Feldman blamed a 'Hollywood mogul' was to blame for Haim's death, and added at the time: "The people who did this to me are still out there and still working - some of the richest, most powerful people in the business."

Anne Henry, co-founder of BizParentz Foundation - which protects child actors in the industry - also made the sensational claim that there are up to 100 'active abusers' working in Hollywood now.

She told the newspaper: "We believe Hollywood is currently sheltering about 100 active abusers."

Henry added that she doesn't believe 'the most powerful people in Hollywood' are actively trying to spread paedophilia, but she does think that 'very bad people' are being protected by their friends.

Cases like that of director Roman Polanksi , who was charged in 1977 with drugging, raping and sodomising a 13-year-old girl.

He struck a plea bargain and was convicted of 'unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor', however, fearing a prison sentence, he fled the country and has never returned.

Instead he has made movies in Europe and even won an Oscar for his work, despite the conviction.