Huw Edwards, a well-known former news anchor for British public broadcaster the BBC has been charged with three counts of making indecent images of children.
In a statement, London’s Metropolitan Police said Edwards was arrested last November and charged last month over offenses alleged to have taken place between 2020 and 2022 and relating to images shared on Whatsapp.
“Edwards was arrested on 8 November 2023. He was charged on Wednesday, 26 June following authorisation from the Crown Prosecution Service,” the Met Police said. “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.”
British tabloid The Sun first published news of the charges against Edward.
Edwards is accused of having illegal images of children on his WhatsApp, including six so-called category A images, deemed the most severe under U.K. law.
The BBC suspended Edwards, the network’s best-paid and most high-profile news presenter, in July last year, over allegations, also made by The Sun, that he paid a teenager for sexually-explicit photos. Police did not take any action against Edwards, saying there was no evidence that a criminal offence had been committed. After taking a 10-month leave of absence, Edwards resigned from the BBC in April.
A spokesperson for the BBC declined to comment.