Huw Edwards, formerly the BBC’s most senior news presenter, has pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children. In Westminster Magistrates’ Court, he admitted to possessing 41 indecent images of children, which were sent to him by another man on WhatsApp.
Among these images were seven classified as category A, the most serious level, with two depicting a child aged between seven and nine. The man who sent these images to Edwards was later identified as a convicted paedophile.
Edwards, who was a main presenter on BBC One’s News at Ten until last year, often covered major national events.
The BBC expressed shock over the revelations and stated that Edwards would have been dismissed had he been charged before his departure from the corporation in April.
Edwards had been suspended previously due to separate allegations but remained on full pay until he left three months ago on medical advice.
He was charged last month and could now face imprisonment, with his next court appearance scheduled for September 16. The court heard that Edwards had been involved in a WhatsApp conversation since December 2020 with an adult man who sent him 377 sexual images, including the 41 indecent images of children.
Most category A images showed children aged 13 to 15, with two clips involving a child aged about seven to nine.
Edwards had 12 category B images, involving non-penetrative sexual activity, and 22 category C images, which include other indecent images of children aged between 12 and 15.
The Metropolitan Police began investigating Edwards after discovering his involvement in the WhatsApp conversation during an unrelated probe.
Alex Williams, a 25-year-old paedophile, shared these indecent images with Edwards and was sentenced to a suspended 12-month jail term in Wales.
The court was informed that on February 2, 2021, the other man asked Edwards if the images he was sending were too young, to which Edwards replied not to send any underage images.
Despite this, the final indecent image sent in August 2021 was a category A film featuring a young boy.Edwards’s barrister, Philip Evans KC, argued that Edwards did not create, keep, or distribute any images and did not seek similar images from elsewhere.
The former broadcaster has faced both mental and physical health issues and was described by his barrister as a person of exceptional character. Edwards has not been on air since July of last year following high-profile reports alleging he paid a young person for sexually explicit images, a claim the Metropolitan Police found no evidence for.
These recent charges are separate from those allegations. Edwards was suspended by the BBC last July, and although an internal investigation was initiated, it has not yet revealed its findings.
Edwards received a salary between £475,000 and £479,999 from April 2023 to April 2024, an increase of £40,000 from the previous year. The court must determine whether Edwards’s actions fall into the categories of possession, distribution, or production of indecent images.
The Crown Prosecution Service highlighted that “making” indecent images can include a range of actions, such as downloading or receiving images via social media.
Sentences for such offenses can vary, with prison terms ranging from six months to three years, although alternatives such as community orders with sex offender treatment programs are possible if there is a prospect of rehabilitation.
Claire Brinton of the CPS emphasized that accessing indecent images of children perpetuates their exploitation and trauma. The NSPCC and the Internet Watch Foundation also underscored the severity and lasting impact of such crimes, calling for a clear understanding of their seriousness.
