Former BBC newsreader Huw Edwards has pleaded guilty to making indecent images of children. The 62-year-old admitted to three offences between December 2020 and August 2021.
Edwards arrived at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in a dark blue suit, blue tie, and dark sunglasses. He had 41 photographs on WhatsApp, including seven of the most serious type. The images were divided into categories A, B, and C, with category A being the most serious and involving children aged 13 to 15, and two moving images of a child aged between seven and nine.
The court heard that Edwards had been involved in an online chat with an adult man who sent him 377 sexual images, 41 of which were indecent images of children. The images were sent over a two-month period, with the final indecent image, a category A film featuring a young boy, sent in August 2021. Despite being warned not to send illegal content, the man continued to send images until April 2022, when they resumed exchanging legal pornographic images.
Edwards’ defence lawyer, Philip Evans KC, stated that there was no suggestion Edwards made or created the images, which were only on his WhatsApp. He did not keep, send, or solicit similar images elsewhere. Edwards was arrested in November last year and charged on 26 June.
An NSPCC spokesperson emphasized the serious impact of online child sexual abuse offences on victims. The Internet Watch Foundation also condemned the material, stressing that there can be no excuse for such criminal behavior.
The court explained that “making” images can include accessing, downloading, storing content, or receiving images via social media, even if unsolicited.
Edwards resigned from the BBC in April following allegations of misconduct and faced separate claims of paying a teenager for explicit pictures, which did not result in criminal action. He had previously fronted the BBC’s News At Ten for 20 years and was involved in covering major national events.
Edwards will be sentenced on 16 September.
