- Huw Edwards, the former lead news anchor for the BBC, admitted guilt to three counts of producing indecent images of children during a court session in London.
- The crimes involved images exchanged via WhatsApp from December 2020 to August 2021, with Edwards receiving a total of 377 sexual images, including 41 that were categorized as indecent images of children.
- He could face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
On Wednesday, Huw Edwards, the BBC’s former leading news presenter, pleaded guilty to three charges of producing indecent images of children.
The charges were addressed at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in central London during a hearing that lasted 26 minutes, involving images shared on WhatsApp between December 2020 and August 2021.
Edwards has been granted bail until his sentencing hearing set for September 16, where he may face a potential 10-year prison term.
BBC ANCHOR RESIGNS AMID CONTROVERSY OVER ‘MEDICAL ADVICE’ CONNECTED TO SEXUALLY EXPLICIT TEEN IMAGES
The court revealed that Edwards, aged 62, participated in an online conversation with an adult man on the messaging platform, who sent him 377 sexual images, of which 41 were considered indecent images of children.
Former BBC broadcaster, Huw Edwards, arrives at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London on July 31, 2024, where he admitted guilt to three charges of producing indecent images of children.
(Jonathan Brady/PA via AP)
The exchanged images included seven classified as “category A,” the most serious type of indecency. It was noted in court that most children were estimated to be aged between 13 and 15, with one child estimated to be between 7 and 9 years old.
Additionally, the court heard that the unnamed male asked Edwards on February 2, 2021, if the images he was sending were too young. Edwards responded by asking him to refrain from sending underage imagery. Nevertheless, five more were transmitted, and the sharing of pornographic images continued until April 2022.
Defending Edwards, his lawyer Philip Evans stated there is “no indication” that his client had “in the traditional sense of the word, produced any image.”
Evans added that Edwards “did not retain any images, did not share any with others, and did not, nor has not, sought similar images from any source.”
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Prior to his suspension in July 2023 due to separate allegations, Edwards was one of the BBC’s most high-profile and highest-paid personalities. He ultimately resigned citing health reasons.
His attorney, Evans, informed the court that Edwards suffers from “both mental and physical” health issues and asserted that he is “not only of good character but possesses exceptional character.”
Throughout a distinguished 40-year career at the BBC, Edwards became a trusted voice, serving as the lead anchor for nighttime news and spearheading the BBC’s coverage of Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in 2022.
