Disgraced former BBC presenter Huw Edwards has been spared jail after admitting accessing indecent images of children as young as seven.
The 63-year-old previously admitted three charges of “making” indecent photographs after he was sent 41 illegal images by convicted paedophile Alex Williams over WhatsApp.
At Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday, Edwards held his hands together and leaned forward throughout his sentencing hearing as he was handed six months’ imprisonment, suspended for two years.
Reputational and financial damage
Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard Edwards told Williams “go on” when asked if he wanted “naughty pics and vids” of somebody described as “yng (sic)”.
Chief Magistrate, district judge Paul Goldspring, said reputational and financial damage was the “natural consequence of your behaviour which you brought upon yourself”.
The court also heard Edwards paid Williams hundreds of pounds after he sent him pornographic images, but his defence barrister Philip Evans KC said the broadcaster did not make payments to Williams in order to receive indecent images of children.
The prosecution said Williams asked Edwards for a “Christmas gift after all the hot videos”.
Prosecutor Ian Hope said: “Alex Williams says he wants some Air Force 1 trainers that cost around £100, and Mr Edwards offers to send him £200.”
Children aged between seven and nine
Of the indecent images he received, the estimated age of most of the children was between 13 and 15, but one was aged between seven and nine.
Mr Evans said Edwards “recognises that he has betrayed the priceless trust and faith of so many people”, adding that he is “truly sorry” for how he had “damaged his family and his loved ones” and for committing the offences.
Sentencing Edwards, Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring told the broadcaster: “Perhaps it does not need saying but you are of previous good character.”
The judge said he accepts Edwards had been of “exemplary” good character “having enjoyed a very successful career in the media”.
“It’s obvious that until now you were very highly regarded by the public,” he continued, adding that Edwards was “perhaps the most recognised newsreader-journalist”.
“It is not an exaggeration to say your long-earned reputation is in tatters,” the judge said.
Rehabilitation sessions
He also told Edwards he would be subject to 25 rehabilitation sessions and be placed on the sex offender treatment programme for 40 days.
Edwards was also ordered to pay £3,000 in prosecution costs.
The judge continued: “I am of the clear view that you do not present a risk or danger to the public at large, specifically to children.
“There is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.”
He declined to make a sexual harm prevention order against Edwards.
The final indecent image was sent in August 2021, a category A film featuring a young boy, with convicted paedophile Williams telling the newsreader the child was “quite young looking” and that he had more images which were illegal.
Addressing the exchange while opening the case to the court, Mr Hope said: “Alex Williams says he has some ‘naughty pics and vids unsure if you’d like’. Mr Edwards tells him to ‘go on’ and Alex Williams states ‘yng (sic)’.
“Mr Edwards again tells him to ‘go on’ and Alex Williams sends a category A moving image showing a male child aged around seven to nine…”
“Mr Edwards inquires where the video is from and Alex Williams says an image sharing group on another social media platform which they have both also used, Telegram.
“Alex Williams says the subject is ‘quite yng looking’ to which Mr Edwards responds it ‘can be deceptive’ and asks if he has ‘any more?’”
‘Any more?’
Mr Evans told the court: “The defendant has no memory of actually viewing any particular image.”
The defence KC also said Edwards “did not gain any gratification” from indecent images.
Overall, the charges cover a period between December 2020 and August 2021.
Speaking about the money Edwards had sent to Williams, Mr Hope said: “It is clear from the face of the WhatsApp chat recovered that a deal of the chat between Alex Williams and Mr Edwards was sexual in nature.
“It is also clear that Mr Edwards was paying not insignificant sums of money – low hundreds of pounds on an occasional basis – to Alex Williams which Mr Williams directly asked for on several occasions, as gifts or presents, apparently off the back of sending pornographic images to Mr Edwards, about which images they chatted.
“Alex Williams has stated that the money was more generally to support him at university and amounted to around £1,000 to £1,500.”
Repay salary
Following his guilty pleas, the BBC admitted it was informed that the former TV presenter had been arrested in November, but continued to employ him for around five months until he left on medical advice.
It has asked Edwards to repay the £200,000 salary he has received since his arrest.
BBC director-general Tim Davie said the money should be returned and that the corporation will “explore” the legal process if Edwards refuses.
The relevant images in Edwards’ case range from the most serious category, known as category A, to the least serious, known as category C.
They include seven category A images, 12 category B images and 22 category C images.
The Sentencing Council, a public body sponsored by the Ministry of Justice, defines category A images as those involving penetrative sexual activity, sexual activity with an animal, or sadism.
Category B images are those involving non-penetrative sexual activity, while category C images are indecent images that do not fall into A or B.
According to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), “making” an indecent image has been broadly interpreted by the courts.
It can range from opening an attachment to an email containing an image, to accessing pornographic websites in which indecent photographs of children appear by way of an automatic “pop-up” mechanism.
In the case of Edwards, he received the illegal images as part of a WhatsApp conversation.
During his four decades at the corporation, Edwards was among the broadcasting teams leading coverage of historic events including the late Queen’s funeral in 2022 and most recently the coronation of the King in May 2023.
Edwards also announced the late Queen’s death on the BBC in September 2022.
Related: Elon Musk quickly deletes Kamala Harris assassination post