Disgraced former BBC News presenter Huw Edwards is facing sentencing for charges of making indecent images of children. The veteran broadcaster admitted to having 41 such images, including some showing a victim aged between seven and nine, which were sent to him on WhatsApp.
Edwards, once the voice of BBC News and a main presenter on BBC One’s News at Ten, arrived at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London on Monday for the hearing. He nodded but remained silent as he passed through a crowd of photographers and journalists.
The court heard that Edwards sent hundreds of pounds to a convicted paedophile after receiving pornographic images. While most of the images were of adult men, a significant proportion were of children. Prosecutor Ian Hope confirmed that the Category A images Edwards possessed mostly depicted children aged 13-15, with one child aged seven to nine.
Mitigating factors in Edwards’ case include no previous convictions, a possible impairment of decision-making due to a “mental disorder,” and remorse. The maximum sentence for the offense of making indecent images is 10 years, with a possible range of up to three years in prison or a community order with a sex offender treatment program.
Edwards, who was the BBC’s highest-paid journalist, has been asked to return the £200,000 he earned between his arrest last November and his resignation in April. The BBC’s director general stated that discussions are ongoing regarding the possibility of reclaiming the money.
The case highlights the legal definition of “making” indecent images, which can include actions such as downloading, storing, or receiving such images. The court must determine whether the offense falls under possession, distribution, or production categories, with production being the most serious.
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