Former BBC News at Ten anchor Huw Edwards has admitted viewing child abuse images during a WhatsApp conversation.
Huw Edwards, 62, of Southwark, London, admitted three offences of making indecent images of children when he appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, 31st July 2024.
Making an indecent image of a child is an offence under section 1 of the Protection of Children Act 1978. It is an either way offence with a maximum penalty of 10 years' custody on conviction on indictment, 12 months' custody and/or an unlimited fine on summary conviction.
Edwards resigned from the BBC in April 2024 amid allegations about his personal life. He had been suspended since July 2023. Despite his prolonged small screen absence, he was still paid £475,000 by the Corporation.
The offences admitted by Edwards are:
- Between December 2020 and August 2021, he made 7 category A indecent images of children;
- Between December 2020 and August 2021, he made 12 category B indecent images of children;
- Between December 2020 and August 2021, he made 22 category C indecent images of children.
Category A images involve penetrative sexual activity; category B images involve non-penetrative sexual activity; category C images involve sexualised poses.
Today's hearing was before Senior District Judge Paul Goldspring.
Ian Hope, prosecuting, told the court that Edwards had been involved with a WhatsApp chat with an adult male between December 2020 and August 2021.
During the chat he was sent 377 sexual images, of which 41 were the indecent images of children mentioned earlier.
As far as the legislation is concerned making images includes viewing them on an electronic device, as has been the case here. There is no suggestion Edwards was involved in their original production.
Extracts from the relevant sentencing guideline are reproduced below. Edwards' offences involve production of images, but by downloading them instead of production "at source". That being the case it is considered as possession for the purposes of sentencing, which would give a starting point of 12 months' custody in the case of category A images.
Philip Evans KC, mitigating, highlighted Edwards' previous good character and health difficulties.
He also highlighted that Edwards had told the man not to send him any illegal images, but he had done so anyway.
Mr Evans 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."
Senior District Judge Goldspring ordered a pre-sentence report and further medical evidence.
Edwards was granted conditional bail until his sentencing hearing on Monday, 16th September 2024.
Given the circumstances, it is unlikely Edwards will receive an immediate custodial sentence. A suspended sentence with appropriate requirements is the most probable outcome.
If sentenced to a custodial term of 12 months or longer, be that immediate or suspended, he will become subject to notification requirements in accordance with Part 2 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
Update (16/9/24): Edwards has now been sentenced.
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