Former BBC lead presenter pleads guilty in indecent child images case

Huw Edwards, nan BBC’s erstwhile apical news presenter, pleaded blameworthy Wednesday to 3 counts of making indecent images of children.

The offenses he pleaded blameworthy to astatine Westminster Magistrates’ Court successful cardinal London during a 26-minute proceeding progressive images shared connected WhatsApp betwixt December 2020 and August 2021 by a man who had initially contacted Edwards via societal media.

Edwards, who was nan lead anchor connected nan BBC’s nighttime news for 2 decades and led nan nationalist broadcaster’s sum of nan ceremonial of Queen Elizabeth II successful 2022, has been remanded connected bail until a pre-sentencing proceeding connected Sept. 16. He could look up to 10 years successful prison, though nan prosecution conceded that a suspended condemnation whitethorn beryllium appropriate.

The tribunal heard that Edwards, 62, was progressive successful an online chat pinch an big man connected nan messaging work who sent him 377 intersexual images, of which 41 were indecent images of children.

The images that were sent included 7 of what are known arsenic “category A,” which are nan astir indecent. Of those, nan estimated property of astir of nan children was betwixt 13 and 15, but 1 was aged betwixt 7 and 9.

The tribunal besides heard that nan unnamed antheral asked Edwards connected Feb. 2, 2021 whether what he was sending was excessively young. Edwards told him not to nonstop immoderate underage images. Five more, though, were sent, and nan speech of pornographic images continued until April 2022.

“Accessing indecent images of underage group perpetuates nan intersexual exploitation of children, which has deep, long-lasting trauma connected these victims,” said Claire Brinton of nan Crown Prosecution Service.

Speaking successful Edwards’ defense, his lawyer Philip Evans said location is “no suggestion” that his customer had “in nan accepted consciousness of nan word, created immoderate image of immoderate sort.”

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Edwards, he added, “did not support immoderate images, did not nonstop immoderate to anyone other and did not and has not sought akin images from anyplace else.” He added that Edwards had “both intelligence and physical” wellness issues and that he is “not conscionable of bully character, but of exceptional character.”

Prosecutor Ian Hope told nan tribunal that Edwards’ “genuine remorse” was 1 logic why a suspended condemnation mightiness beryllium considered. Setting retired nan imaginable penalties nether nan law, he said that wherever location is nan imaginable of rehabilitation, a organization bid and intersexual offender curen programme could beryllium considered arsenic alternatives to prison.

A spokesperson for nan National Society for nan Prevention of Cruelty to Children said location should beryllium “no doubt” astir nan seriousness of Edwards’ crimes.

“It tin beryllium highly traumatic for young group to cognize intersexual images of themselves person been shared online,” nan spokesperson said. “We besides request to spot online platforms do overmuch much to place and disrupt kid maltreatment successful backstage messaging services successful bid to safeguard young people.”

Edwards, who was 1 of nan BBC’s apical earners, was suspended successful July 2023 for abstracted claims made past year. He later resigned for wellness reasons.