Former BBC newsreader Huw Edwards has pleaded guilty to creating indecent images of children.
London: The 62-year-old, dressed in a dark blue suit, blue tie, and dark sunglasses, was surrounded by photographers as he arrived at Westminster Magistrates’ Court. He admitted to three offences committed between December 2020 and August 2021. Standing in the dock, he appeared slightly shocked when the first charge was read before pleading guilty.
Edwards possessed 41 photographs on WhatsApp: seven category A images (the most serious), 12 category B pictures, and 22 category C images. The category A images were primarily of children aged 13 to 15, with two moving images depicting a young child aged seven to nine.
Prosecutors revealed that Edwards had been involved in an online chat with an adult man on WhatsApp from December 2020 to April 2022. The man sent Edwards 377 sexual images, including the 41 indecent images of children, with the bulk (36 images) sent during a two-month period. The final indecent image, a category A film featuring a young boy, was sent in August 2021. Despite being warned about the illegal nature of the images, Edwards continued to receive and exchange legal pornographic images until April 2022.
Edwards’ defence lawyer, Philip Evans KC, stated that there was no evidence Edwards had created or solicited the images, which were only found on his WhatsApp. Evans emphasized that Edwards did not keep or distribute the images and had not sought similar images from other sources.
As Edwards left the central London court, protesters outside shouted “repent.” An NSPCC spokesperson highlighted the severe impact of online child sexual abuse offences on victims, while the Internet Watch Foundation condemned the material as criminal and inexcusable.
