Former BBC Presenter Huw Edwards Receives Suspended Sentence for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Images

September 16, 2024 TruthUSA

Edwards received 41 indecent images via WhatsApp, two of which were moving images of a child believed to be between the ages of 7 and 9.

Former BBC presenter Huw Edwards has been given a suspended six-month prison sentence for accessing indecent images of children.

Edwards was sentenced at Westminster Magistrates’ Court after pleading guilty in July to “making” indecent images. He had received 41 illegal images of children over WhatsApp, some involving a child as young as 7.

The 62-year-old will undergo 25 rehabilitation sessions and join a 40-day sex offender treatment program, according to the judge.

In his ruling, District Judge Paul Goldspring acknowledged Edwards’ previous good character and noted that he was highly respected by the public, being a well-known newsreader-journalist.

“Your long-earned reputation is now in tatters,” Goldspring said to Edwards.

In July, Edwards, 62, pleaded guilty to three charges of making indecent images of children sent to him by Alex Williams between December 2020 and August 2021.

Seven of the multimedia materials were classified as category A, the most serious kind, and mostly contained images of children aged 13 to 15. However, two of them were moving images of a child believed to be between the ages of 7 and 9. Additionally, there were 12 category B pictures and 22 category C pictures found on Edwards’s WhatsApp account.

According to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the act of “making” an indecent image has a broad interpretation and can include tasks like opening an attachment in an email containing such material or receiving it via social media, even if unsolicited or part of a group communication.

The court was informed that Williams sent Edwards the last indecent image of a child in August 2021, which was a category A film featuring a young boy aged between 7 and 9 years old.

Prosecutor Ian Hope detailed excerpts from the WhatsApp exchanges during the case opening on Monday. He mentioned, “Alex Williams says the subject is ‘quite yng looking,’ to which Mr. Edwards responds that it ‘can be deceptive’ and asks if there are ‘any more?’”

Edwards’s defense barrister Philip Evans, KC, told the court that his client “has no memory of actually viewing any particular image.”

The court also heard about the “not insignificant sums of money” Edwards had sent to Williams. “Mr. Williams directly requested money on several occasions, as gifts or presents, apparently after sending pornographic images to Mr. Edwards, about which they conversed,” Hope added.

“Alex Williams has mentioned that the money was more generally to support him at university, totaling around £1,000 to £1,500,” according to Hope.

Williams was charged in connection with the messages with Edwards and was convicted of seven offenses after an investigation by South Wales Police. He received a 12-month suspended sentence.

Following Edwards’s sentencing, Claire Brinton from the CPS stated, “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.”

A BBC spokesperson commented after the sentencing of the broadcaster’s former presenter, stating: “We are appalled by his crimes. He has betrayed not just the BBC but also audiences who placed their trust in him.”

Salary ‘Should Be Returned’

Edwards was arrested on Nov. 8, 2023, and was charged on June 26, 2024. He resigned in April due to medical reasons after being suspended in July 2023 following separate allegations of paying a young person for explicit images.

At the time of his resignation, Edwards was the highest-paid broadcaster in the UK, earning between £475,000 and £479,999.

The BBC revealed they knew about Edwards’s arrest in November but continued to employ him until his resignation five months later.

The broadcaster has requested Edwards to repay the £200,000 he received between the arrest and the resignation.

BBC Director-General Tim Davie informed the House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee that the broadcaster would pursue legal action to recover the money if Edwards declines to return it.

“We’ve made the formal request, and I can’t provide too many details, but discussions are ongoing. The BBC’s stance is clear— the money must be returned, and we have made the request,” said Davie.

Although no deadline has been set for the money to be returned, Davie mentioned that they anticipate progress and a response from Edwards.

During his four-decade tenure at the corporation, Edwards covered various historic events, including the death and funeral of Queen Elizabeth II and presiding over King Charles III’s coronation broadcast.

PA Media contributed to this report.

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