London — Huw Edwards, the former BBC news presenter, pleaded guilty to three charges on Wednesday. charges of making indecent images of childrenThe offences to which he pleaded guilty at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in central London in a 26-minute hearing involved images shared on WhatsApp between December 2020 and August 2021 by a man who had initially contacted Edwards via social media.
Edwards, who was the BBC’s main evening news anchor for two decades and led the public broadcaster’s coverage of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, was remanded in custody until a pre-sentencing hearing on September 16. He could face up to 10 years in prison, although prosecutors have acknowledged that a suspended sentence may be appropriate.
The court heard Edwards, 62, was involved in an online chat with an adult man on the messaging service who sent him 377 sexual images, 41 of which were indecent images of children.
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Of the images sent, seven were in category A, the most indecent. Most of the children were between 13 and 15 years old, but one was between 7 and 9 years old.
The court also heard that the unnamed man asked Edwards on February 2, 2021, if what he was sending was too young. Edwards told him not to send images of minors. However, five more images were sent and the exchange of pornographic images continued until April 2022.
“Access to indecent images of minors perpetuates the sexual exploitation of children, causing deep and lasting trauma for these victims,” said Claire Brinton of the Crown Prosecution Service.
Defending Edwards, his lawyer Philip Evans said there was “no suggestion” that his client had “in the traditional sense created any image of any kind”.
Edwards, he added, “kept no images, sent none to anyone else and did not seek or seek to obtain similar images elsewhere.” He added that Edwards had health problems “both mental and physical” and was “not only of good character but of exceptional character.”
Prosecutor Ian Hope told the court Edwards’ “genuine remorse” was one reason a suspended sentence could be considered. Listing possible sanctions under the law, he said where there was a prospect of rehabilitation, a community order and a sex offender treatment programme could be considered as alternatives to prison.
A spokesman for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children said there should be “no doubt” about the seriousness of Edwards’ crimes.
“It can be extremely traumatic for young people to know that sexual images of themselves have been shared online,” the spokesperson said. “We also need to see online platforms do much more to identify and disrupt child abuse on private messaging services to protect young people.”
Edwards, who was one of the BBC’s highest earners, was suspended in July 2023 over separate complaints made last year. He later resigned on health grounds.
