Former BBC news anchor Huw Edwards, 62, was in court on Wednesday, where he pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children.
Edwards, one of the most recognisable faces on UK television, resigned from the BBC in April on medical advice, six months after his arrest. He now faces a potential maximum prison sentence of up to 10 years, with a minimum of 12 months, reported AFP.
During the 25-minute hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London, Edwards wore a dark suit and blue tie and sat impassively as he admitted to receiving 41 indecent images of children on WhatsApp.Among these were seven images considered the most serious. Under English law, receiving and downloading indecent images of children can constitute the offence of making such images.
The crimes involving Edwards transpired between December 2020 and August 2021. The court heard from prosecutor Ian Hope that Edwards had received 377 sexual images from a man he met online, 41 of which were indecent images of children. Hope stated, “These images appear to have been received with approval.” The information also indicated that the children depicted in some of the most severe images were estimated to be between 13 and 15 years old, with one “moving film” featuring a child aged between seven and nine.
Following the court proceedings, London’s Metropolitan Police disclosed that the man who shared the indecent images with Edwards was 25-year-old convicted pedophile Alex Williams. Williams had been sentenced to a suspended 12-month jail term in March by a Welsh court after he pleaded guilty to charges related to indecent imagery of children. The investigation into Edwards began when police seized a phone in an unrelated probe, revealing Edwards’s participation in a WhatsApp conversation with Williams.
Edwards’s lawyer, Philip Evans, clarified to the court that there was “no suggestion in this case that Mr Edwards has… in the traditional sense of the word, created any image of any sort.” He added that Edwards had “serious issues in relation to Mr Edwards’s health both mental and physical.” Chief magistrate Paul Goldspring released Edwards on conditional bail until his next hearing on September 16, where sentencing will be discussed.
“I’m asking the probation service to look at this case, with genuinely all options open,” said Goldspring. Prosecutor Ian Hope suggested that a suspended sentence might be suitable if combined with a community order and a sexual offender treatment program.
BBC responded to the scandal and said it was “shocked to hear the details which have emerged in court today,” adding, “There can be no place for such abhorrent behaviour, and our thoughts are with all those affected.” The broadcaster’s statement further confirmed it first learned of Edwards’s arrest in November and had suspended him at the time. “If at any point during the period Mr Edwards was employed by the BBC he had been charged, the BBC had determined it would act immediately to dismiss him,” the statement read.
Edwards, widely known for his role in presenting key events like the death and funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, was suspended by the BBC in July 2023 when the allegations first surfaced. He ultimately quit the broadcaster in April, marking the end of a 40-year career. Edwards has not publicly commented on the allegations.
Edwards, one of the most recognisable faces on UK television, resigned from the BBC in April on medical advice, six months after his arrest. He now faces a potential maximum prison sentence of up to 10 years, with a minimum of 12 months, reported AFP.
During the 25-minute hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London, Edwards wore a dark suit and blue tie and sat impassively as he admitted to receiving 41 indecent images of children on WhatsApp.Among these were seven images considered the most serious. Under English law, receiving and downloading indecent images of children can constitute the offence of making such images.
The crimes involving Edwards transpired between December 2020 and August 2021. The court heard from prosecutor Ian Hope that Edwards had received 377 sexual images from a man he met online, 41 of which were indecent images of children. Hope stated, “These images appear to have been received with approval.” The information also indicated that the children depicted in some of the most severe images were estimated to be between 13 and 15 years old, with one “moving film” featuring a child aged between seven and nine.
Following the court proceedings, London’s Metropolitan Police disclosed that the man who shared the indecent images with Edwards was 25-year-old convicted pedophile Alex Williams. Williams had been sentenced to a suspended 12-month jail term in March by a Welsh court after he pleaded guilty to charges related to indecent imagery of children. The investigation into Edwards began when police seized a phone in an unrelated probe, revealing Edwards’s participation in a WhatsApp conversation with Williams.
Edwards’s lawyer, Philip Evans, clarified to the court that there was “no suggestion in this case that Mr Edwards has… in the traditional sense of the word, created any image of any sort.” He added that Edwards had “serious issues in relation to Mr Edwards’s health both mental and physical.” Chief magistrate Paul Goldspring released Edwards on conditional bail until his next hearing on September 16, where sentencing will be discussed.
“I’m asking the probation service to look at this case, with genuinely all options open,” said Goldspring. Prosecutor Ian Hope suggested that a suspended sentence might be suitable if combined with a community order and a sexual offender treatment program.
BBC responded to the scandal and said it was “shocked to hear the details which have emerged in court today,” adding, “There can be no place for such abhorrent behaviour, and our thoughts are with all those affected.” The broadcaster’s statement further confirmed it first learned of Edwards’s arrest in November and had suspended him at the time. “If at any point during the period Mr Edwards was employed by the BBC he had been charged, the BBC had determined it would act immediately to dismiss him,” the statement read.
Edwards, widely known for his role in presenting key events like the death and funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, was suspended by the BBC in July 2023 when the allegations first surfaced. He ultimately quit the broadcaster in April, marking the end of a 40-year career. Edwards has not publicly commented on the allegations.