Huw Edwards arrest known by BBC five months before resignation, corporation says
The BBC knew of Huw Edwards’ arrest over accessing indecent images of children in November but continued employing him until April, the corporation has said.
The veteran broadcaster admitted three charges of “making” indecent photographs after he was sent 41 illegal images by convicted paedophile Alex Williams.
Williams was charged in relation to his WhatsApp chat with Edwards and was convicted of seven offences following an investigation by South Wales Police – receiving a 12-month suspended sentence.
Westminster Magistrates’ Court was told seven of the indecent images shared with the veteran broadcaster by Williams were of the most serious type.
The final indecent image was sent in August 2021, a category A film featuring a young boy, with the convicted paedophile telling the newsreader the child was “quite young looking” and that he had more images which were illegal.
In a statement, the BBC said: “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.”
The corporation added: “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.
“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.”
An internal note to colleagues sent by BBC director-general Tim Davie, seen by the PA news agency, thanked staff working on the story for “your professionalism in carrying on with your jobs in difficult circumstances”.
Edwards appeared nervous, fidgeting with his hands as Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring told him he would not be sentencing him on Wednesday.
The court heard that the broadcaster had engaged in online chat involving illegal photographs with an adult man, now known to be Williams, 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 February 2 2021, Williams asked whether what he was sending was too young, to which 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 aged between seven and nine, the court was told.
No more indecent images more were sent after August 2021, but the pair continued to exchange legal pornographic images until April 2022.
During the period he was being sent the photographs, Edwards fronted coverage of the funeral of the late Duke Of Edinburgh, and a programme from Windsor Castle the night before the funeral called HRH The Duke Of Edinburgh Remembered.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said the charge of “making” an indecent image, which the broadcaster pleaded guilty to, has been broadly interpreted by the courts.
The CPS said it can range from opening an attachment in an email containing an image, to accessing pornographic websites in which indecent photographs of children appear by way of an automatic pop-up mechanism.
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