Former BBC presenter Huw Edwards has pleaded guilty to having 41 indecent images of children on the messaging app WhatsApp. The alleged offenses were committed between December 2020 and August 2021, and Edwards appeared before London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court for this reason. The court heard that Edwards engaged in online chat with an adult man who sent him 377 sexual images, 41 of which were indecent images of children under the age of 18. Seven of the illegal images were classified as category A, the most severe classification under English law, with 12 images being category B and 22 images being category C.
Despite the charges against him, it was revealed in court that Edwards had instructed the man not to send him underage images, and that no more illegal images were sent after that message. However, the pair continued exchanging legal pornographic images until April 2022. In his defense, Edwards’ barrister Philip Evans stated that there was no evidence to suggest that Edwards had created any images himself, kept any images, sent any to others, or sought similar images from anywhere else. It was also revealed that Edwards was charged by London’s Metropolitan Police last month after being arrested in November of the previous year.
Edwards, who was a well-known presenter for the BBC’s News at Ten program and had covered major state events such as royal weddings and funerals, eventually stepped down from his role at the BBC in late April after a 40-year career. He was one of the most recognized faces in British television news and was the BBC’s third highest-paid employee, earning between £475,000 and £479,999 in the period from April 2023 to March 2024. The Metropolitan Police clarified that the allegations against Edwards were investigated separately as a standalone case, not as part of any previous matters considered by the police in July 2023.
During his court appearance, Edwards wore a dark suit, blue tie, and sunglasses, and entered his pleas at the beginning of the hearing while appearing distant as the prosecutor outlined the case against him. The final indecent image sent in August 2021 involved a category A video of a young boy, prompting the charges against Edwards. Despite the seriousness of the charges, his barrister emphasized that there was no evidence of any active participation by Edwards in creating, distributing, or seeking similar images. As the case progresses, further details may emerge regarding Edwards’ involvement with the illegal images and his defense against the charges.
