Former BBC news anchor Huw Edwards pleaded guilty on Wednesday to a charge of indecent images of children.
Edwards pleaded guilty at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London in front of a packed house of reporters. according to Edwards, once one of the BBC's highest-paid and best-known presenters, told Variety magazine that he only spoke to provide his name, date of birth and partial address, to plead guilty to the charges and to confirm he understood the terms of his bail.
Prosecutors told the court that Mr Edwards had received the images via WhatsApp from “an adult male who had contacted Mr Edwards on social media”, which automatically saves images to his phone. Mr Edwards had asked the man to stop sending him child pornography but he continued to send him “legitimate pornographic images”.
🚨 BREAKING – Huw Edwards appears in court after pleading guilty to taking indecent photographs of children pic.twitter.com/7tBkFNBMNo
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A total of 41 images and videos were shared with Edwards between 2020 and 2022, six of which were classified as “category A”, the most serious offence punishable by up to 10 years in prison. (Related article: Children's entertainer and convicted child sex offender dies at 93)
The court heard that while the category one images mainly involved children aged between 13 and 15, two “videos” may have involved children aged between seven and nine. report“It's important that the public understands the circumstances here,” Edwards' attorney, Philip Evans, said of the situation. “He did not keep the photos or send them to anyone else, and he has not sought or sought similar photos elsewhere.”
Edwards is due to appear in court again for a pre-sentence report in September.
