Former BBC presenter Huw Edwards has pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children.
The veteran broadcaster admitted having 41 images shared on a Whatsapp chat, including seven of the most serious type.
Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard the offences, which are contrary to the Protection of Children Act 1978, were committed between December 2020 and August 2021.
Wearing a dark suit, blue tie and sunglasses, the 62-year-old spoke to confirm his name, date of birth, address and his guilty pleas at the start of the hearing on Wednesday.
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Scroll down for BBC reaction to Edwards’ court appearance
The news of the charges against Edwards only broke on Monday although he was arrested on 8 November and charged on 26 June.
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The court heard that Edwards had been involved in 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.
On 2 February 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 age 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.
The man told Edwards that the boy was quite young looking, and that he had more images which were illegal.
Edwards told him not to send any illegal images, the court was told.
No more were sent, and the pair continued to exchange legal pornographic images until April 2022.
Huw Edwards back in court in September after guilty plea
Speaking in Edwards’ defence, his barrister Philip Evans KC 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.”
The Crown Prosecution Service says “making” an indecent image can include opening an attachment to an email, downloading an image, storing an image on a computer, receiving an image via social media, accessing a pornographic website in which indecent images appear as pop-ups, or livestreaming.
This charge is often used instead of “possession” for which the prosecution must be able to prove the suspect had control over the images and were capable of accessing them.
Edwards has been bailed and will next appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 16 September.
Prosecutor Ian Hope told the court that a suspended sentence might be considered for Edwards.
Setting out the potential penalties under the law, he said that where there is the prospect of rehabilitation a community order and sexual offender treatment programme could be considered as alternatives to a custodial sentence.
Sentencing guidelines set the starting point for any jail term for possession of a Category A image at 12 months, with a range of 26 weeks to three years.
The starting point is 26 weeks for a category B image, and a community order for category C, he said.
Aggravating features to be taken into account for Edwards include that the images included moving images, and the young age of the child thought to be seven to nine years old in two of the category A images.
Mitigating factors are Edwards’ early guilty plea, his previous good character, his mental health issues and what Mr Hope said is “genuine remorse”.
Barrister for Huw Edwards says he had ‘exceptional character’
Defending, Evans told the court Edwards had “both mental and physical” health issues.
He said: “It is obvious to the court, I’m sure, that Mr Edwards was not just of good character, but of exceptional character.”
Claire Brinton from the Crown Prosecution Service said in response to the case: “Accessing indecent images of underage people perpetuates the sexual exploitation of children, which has deep, long-lasting trauma on these victims.
“The CPS and the Metropolitan Police were able to prove that Edwards was receiving illegal material involving children via Whatsapp.
“This prosecution sends a clear message that the CPS, working alongside with the police, will work to bring to justice those who seek to exploit children, wherever that abuse takes place.”
The Metropolitan Police told the BBC the allegations were separate to claims first reported in The Sun last year, leading to him going off-air, that Edwards had paid a young person for sexual images.
The force said: “These allegations did not form part of the matter which was considered by police in July 2023. They were investigated separately as a standalone case.”
Edwards resigned from the BBC under medical advice in April after about nine months off-air following The Sun’s reporting.
Despite his time away from work he was the BBC’s highest-paid journalist in 2023/24 earning between £475,000 and £479,999 – up from £435,000 to £439,999 in 2022/23.
Hours after Edwards pleaded guilty, the BBC issued a statement clarifying that although he was arrested while he was still employed by the BBC its decision had been to dismiss him if he had been charged. However he was ultimately charged three months after resigning.
A BBC spokesperson said: “The BBC is shocked to hear the details which have emerged in court today. There can be no place for such abhorrent behaviour and our thoughts are with all those affected.
“The police have confirmed that the charges are not connected to the original complaint raised with the BBC in the summer of 2023, nevertheless in the interests of transparency we think it important to set out some points about events of the last year.
“In November 2023, whilst Mr Edwards was suspended, the BBC as his employer at the time was made aware in confidence that he had been arrested on suspicion of serious offences and released on bail whilst the police continued their investigation. At the time, no charges had been brought against Mr Edwards and the BBC had also been made aware of significant risk to his health.
“Today we have learnt of the conclusion of the police process in the details as presented to the court. If at any point during the period Mr Edwards was employed by the BBC he had been charged, the BBC had determined it would act immediately to dismiss him. In the end, at the point of charge he was no longer an employee of the BBC.
“During this period, in the usual way, the BBC has kept its corporate management of these issues separate from its independent editorial functions.
“We want to reiterate our shock at Mr Edwards’ actions and our thoughts remain with all those affected.”
Edwards had been renowned for anchoring BBC News at Six and BBC News at Ten and for leading special event coverage such as for the general election night in 2019 and the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022.
He was named the “best UK late evening TV news presenter during the pandemic” in a Press Gazette reader poll in 2020.
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