Edwards looked sombre as he arrived at court carrying a suitcase (Image: PA)

The BBC has spoken out after former news anchor Huw Edwards appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court after being charged with making indecent images of children

The BBC has addressed Huw Edwards’ suspended prison sentence.

In a statement, the corporation said: “We are appalled by his crimes. He has betrayed not just the BBC, but audiences who put their trust in him.” Edwards dodged an immediate prison sentence for having child abuse images on his phone. He was handed a six-month sentence, suspended for two, by Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring during a hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today. Edwards sat forward with his hands together, pressed against his lips, as Mr Goldspring told him: “The impact of child sexual abuse can be severe and lifelong.” Goldspring told Edwards his “reputation is in tatters,” while starting his sentencing remarks. Mr Goldspring said: “Perhaps it does not need saying that you are of previous good character having enjoyed a very successful career in the media You were highly regarded for your dedication and professionalism, perhaps the most recognised journalist in the UK. Your reputation is in tatters.”

Mr Goldspring said: “I accept that your mental health at the relevant time and you had no memory of viewing any particular image and do not know whether you did. You did not store the images, you did not keep them and you did not distribute them. In a psychological assessment, experts said he was “destabilised” and a “social media presence allowed him to interact with people who he would not normally have access to”. He had “fragile self-esteem”, creating a “perfect storm where he indulged in sexual infidelities”. The authorities added he would be “particularly vulnerable in the prison population” and had a “considerable risk of harm by others” and his “suicide risk would be high”. They said he “does not pose a risk to people under the age of 18” and had “shown insight, shame and remorse”.

Edwards was handed a six-month prison sentence, suspended by two years ( Image: PA)

The disgraced broadcaster was told he ‘does not pose a risk to people under the age of 18’ ( Image: Getty Images)
Goldspring also declined to make Edwards the subject of a Sexual Harm Prevention Order. He said he “did not pose a risk to the public” but stated he would be on the Sexual Offenders’ Register for seven years. Disgraced news anchor Edwards, 63, was previously charged with making indecent images of children. After Edwards was sentenced, Claire Brinton, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “Accessing indecent images of children perpetuates the sexual exploitation of them, which has deep, long-lasting trauma for these victims. The CPS and Metropolitan Police were able to prove that Edwards was receiving illegal images and videos involving children via WhatsApp. This prosecution sends a clear message that the CPS, working alongside the police, will work to bring to justice those who seek to exploit children, wherever that abuse takes place.” Walking out of court, Edwards didn’t say a word as he pulled a small suitcase along before being driven away in a Mercedes.

Once regarded as one of the Beebs’ biggest broadcasters, Edwards was suspended from his high-profile role at the license-payer-funded corporation in November 2023 after they became aware “in confidence” that he’d been arrested on suspicion of serious offences. However, he did not step down until April 2024 and received a salary from the corporation.

Edwards, who was flanked by his legal team arrived at court carrying a suitcase after stepping out of a black cab ( Image: PA)
Edwards pleaded guilty in July this year, to three counts of making indecent photographs / pseudo-photographs of a child. Seven of the 41 images were the most serious type. A previous hearing at Westminster Magistrates Court heard that Edwards had been involved in an 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.

He pleaded guilty to charges of seven Category A, the worst category, 12 Category B, and 22 Category C indecent images of children. On February 2, 2021, the male asked whether what he was sending was too young, in response to which Mr 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. Opening the case at the court, prosecutor Ian Hope said: “It is clear from the face of the WhatsApp chat recovered that a deal of the chat between Alex Williams and Mr Edwards was sexual in nature. It is also clear that Mr Edwards was paying not insignificant sums of money – low hundreds of pounds on an occasional basis – to Alex Williams which Mr Williams directly asked for on several occasions, as gifts or presents, apparently off the back of sending abusive images to Mr Edwards, about which images they chatted.

“Alex Williams has stated that the money was more generally to support him at university and amounted to around £1,000 to £1,500. The bulk of the images were sexual images featuring younger-looking adult males, and therefore lawful. However, a significant minority proportion of the images recovered were IIOC. From the WhatsApp Chat recovered a total of around 377 sexual images were sent to Mr Edwards, of which 41 comprised IIOC (just over 10%).”

Alex Williams asked for a “Christmas gift after all the hot videos” from Huw Edwards, the court heard. Prosecutor Ian Hope said the convicted paedophile offered to send 12 videos in December 2020 and the then-BBC presenter responded that he could not see the latest batch but “the others were amazing”. The court heard a new link contained a Category C image of a child aged around 12 to 14 and a Category A image. “Three-quarters of an hour later, Alex Williams again asks for ‘a Christmas gift after all the hot videos’ and Mr Edwards immediately responds ‘What do you need?’,” the prosecutor continued. “Alex Williams says he wants some Air Force 1 trainers that cost around £100, and Mr Edwards offers to send him £200.”

Protestors had gathered outside of the court ( Image: Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror)
He sent Edwards 377 images, 41 of which were indecent. The court heard how Edwards replied: “Yes xxx,” when he was asked if he wanted sexual images of an individual whose “age could be discerned as being between 14 and 16.” Hope added: “From that chat in December 2020, Alex Williams said that he had ‘a file of vids and pics for you of someone special’.

“Mr Edwards immediately queried who the subject was and was then sent three images of seemingly the same person, from two of which images the subject’s age could be discerned as being between 14 and 16. These two were category C indecent images of children in which the child was exposing his penis. Alex Williams stated that he had ’12 videos and 42 pics I’ve sent you a video of him before’.

“Shortly after Alex Williams asked: ‘Want me to send you the full file?’ Mr Edwards responded ‘Yes xxx…’ immediately following which Alex Williams sent to Mr Edwards around 30 attachments, about half of which were category C indecent images of children.” Williams made contact with Edwards in early 2018 and they exchanged sexual images for more than four years. Edwards described some of the abuse images as “amazing”, the court heard. In one exchange, Williams sent Edwards a Cat A child abuse image, to which the ex-News at Ten presenter simply replied, “F***”. The pair then wished each other a Happy Christmas.

Westminster Magistrates’ Court was told Huw Edwards did not respond after a convicted paedophile sent him a sexual video of children aged around seven to nine and 11 to 13. Prosecutor Hope said: “On February 10, 2021, a category A video was sent which is notable because the age of one of the children involved was significantly younger than in the rest of the images sent – it showed several acts of penetration between two children aged around seven to nine and 11 to 13 respectively. There was no direct response from Mr Edwards to this video, beyond it being marked as ‘read’. A week later… a number of attachments were sent which included two Category B videos and four Category C still images comprising indecent images of children.

On February 19 2021, Alex Williams asked ‘Is the stuff I’m sending too young for you?’ The next response from Mr Edwards is dated February 22 2021 saying ‘don’t send underage’.” Edwards told convicted paedophile Williams “go on” when he was asked if he wanted “naughty pics and vids” of somebody described as “yng (sic)”. Ian Hope told the court: “In a later exchange on August 11 2021, Alex Williams says he has some ‘naughty pics and vids unsure if you’d like’. Mr Edwards tells him to ‘go on’ and Alex Williams states ‘yng (sic)’.

“Mr Edwards again tells him to ‘go on’ and Alex Williams sends a category A moving image showing a male child aged around 7 to 9…” Mr Edwards enquires where the video is from and Alex Williams says an image-sharing group on another social media platform which they have both also used, Telegram. Alex Williams says the subject is ‘quite yng looking’ to which Mr Edwards responds it ‘can be deceptive’ and asks if he has ‘any more?’ Alex Williams says he has but he is not sure if Mr Edwards would like them as they are illegal. Mr Edwards says ‘Ah OK don’t’ and the exchange immediately following concerns a series of images which Alex Williams describes as ‘looks young don’t he but he’s deffo 19.’

During his time at the BBC, he was one of the most prominent and highest-paid broadcasters before he was suspended. Most notably, he announced to the world that Queen Elizabeth II had died on September 8, 2022.

Just one year later on May 6, 2023, Edwards fronted the Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla. He was reported to be on a salary between £475,000 to £479,999 for the year 2023/24 for 160 presenting days including BBC One news specials, election specials and other television programming.