Huw Edwards, the veteran lead anchor of BBC News, will appear in a London court Wednesday after being charged with three counts of making 37 indecent images of children.
Police say the offenses took place between December 2020 and April 2022, and “relate to images shared on a WhatsApp chat.”
The Sun reported that Edwards is accused of having six category A images, the most serious classification of indecent images, on a phone. He is also accused of making 12 Category B pictures and 19 Category C photographs. If found guilty, he faces up to 10 years in jail.
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A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: “Huw Edwards, 62, of Southwark, London has been charged with three counts of making indecent images of children following a Met Police investigation. The offenses, which are alleged to have taken place between December 2020 and April 2022, relate to images shared on a WhatsApp chat. Edwards was arrested on November 8, 2023.
“He was charged on Wednesday, 26 June following authorization from the Crown Prosecution Service. He has been bailed to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, 31 July. Media and the public are strongly reminded that this is an active case. Nothing should be published, including on social media, which could prejudice future court proceedings.”
Edwards, 62, who hosted the main 10 p.m. news bulletin and led the BBC's coverage of major events such as the funerals of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, was one of the BBC’s highest-paid presenters.
He has not appeared on TV since last July when allegations first surfaced that he’d paid a teenager for sexually explicit images. His name was eventually revealed after a period of frenzied speculation about the identity of the “BBC presenter” concerned. At that time, London’s Metropolitan Police and South Wales Police said that no criminal offense had been committed by the star.
Edwards was the BBC’s third-highest-paid star from April 2023 to March 2024, earning between £475,000 ($610,000) and £479,999 ($616,000) in the period.
Huw Edwards in the N9 news studio for the BBC’s “News at Ten.”
Jeff Overs/BBC News & Current Affairs via GettyLast July, in naming her husband as the star behind the claims, Edwards’ wife, Vicky Flind, said: “In light of the recent reporting regarding the ‘BBC Presenter’ I am making this statement on behalf of my husband Huw Edwards, after what have been five extremely difficult days for our family. I am doing this primarily out of concern for his mental well-being and to protect our children.
“Huw is suffering from serious mental health issues. As is well documented, he has been treated for severe depression in recent years. The events of the last few days have greatly worsened matters, he has suffered another serious episode and is now receiving in-patient hospital care where he'll stay for the foreseeable future.
“Once well enough to do so, he intends to respond to the stories that have been published. To be clear Huw was first told that there were allegations being made against him last Thursday. In the circumstances and given Huw’s condition I would like to ask that the privacy of my family and everyone else caught up in these upsetting events is respected. I know that Huw is deeply sorry that so many colleagues have been impacted by the recent media speculation. We hope this statement will bring that to an end.”
In April 2024, Edwards resigned. “Huw Edwards has today resigned and left the BBC,” a BBC spokesman said at the time. “After 40 years of service, Huw has explained that his decision was made on the basis of medical advice from his doctors.” The spokesperson said Edwards’ resignation “will allow all parties to move forward.”
