Ex-BBC presenter Huw Edwards pleads guilty to making indecent images of children
Edwards will be sentenced at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on September 16, ITV News Correspondent Geraint Vincent reports.
Huw Edwards has pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children.
The BBC has said the former presenter would have been sacked had he been charged over accessing indecent images while still working for the corporation, adding that it was “shocked” at his “abhorrent behaviour”.
Westminster Magistrates Court heard the 62-year-old had been involved in online chat with an adult man on WhatsApp between December 2020 and August 2021, who sent him 377 sexual images, of which 41 were indecent images of children.
The bulk of these, 36, were sent during a two-month period.
On February 2, 2021 the man asked whether what he was sending was too young, in response to which Edwards told him not to send any underage images, the court heard.
The indecent images that were sent included seven category A, the worst, 12 category B, and 22 category C.
Of the category A images, the estimated age of most of the children was between 13 and 15, but one was aged between seven and nine, the court was told.
The final indecent image was sent in August 2021, a category A film featuring a young boy.
The man told Edwards the boy was quite young looking, and that he had more images which were illegal.
Edwards told him again to not to send any illegal images, the court was told.
No more were sent, and the pair continued to exchange legal pornographic images until April 2022.
Speaking in Edwards’ defence, his barrister Philip Evans KC said: "There’s no suggestion in this case that Mr Edwards has… in the traditional sense of the word, created any image of any sort.
"It is important also to remember for context that devices, Mr Edwards’ devices, have been seized, have been searched, and there’s nothing in those devices.
"It is only the images that are the subject of the charges that came via a WhatsApp chat.
"Mr Edwards did not keep any images, did not send any to anyone else and did not and has not sought similar images from anywhere else."
After Edwards pleaded guilty to the BBC issued a lengthy statement saying they were "shocked" by what was heard in court adding "there can be no place for such abhorrent behaviour and our thoughts are with all those affected."
The BBC said they were made aware in November 2023 Edwards had been arrested on suspicion of serious offences, they said they had also been told about a "significant risk to his health."
The corporation added that if he had ever been charged while employed by the BBC they would have immediately dismissed him.
Edwards left the BBC in April. He was charged on July 29.
Sentencing guidelines set the starting point for any jail term for possession of a Category A image at 12 months, with a range of 26 weeks to three years.
The starting point is 26 weeks for a category B image, and a community order for category C, he said.
Edwards was bailed and will be sentenced at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on September 16.
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...