Edwards, 62, was suspended in July last year following allegations in The Sun newspaper that a senior figure at the corporation had paid a young person for sexually explicit images.
Apparently separately, South Wales Police seized the phone of 25-year-old Alex Williams from Merthyr Tydfil.
From this they ascertained that Edwards had been sent 37 indecent images of children on WhatsApp, including seven in category A, the most serious.
The presenter received a £40,000 pay rise last year, increasing his licence fee-funded salary to between £475,000 and £479,999.
Edwards resigns from honorary positions
Later on Friday, it emerged that Edwards had resigned from two honorary positions at his former university in Wales.
On Thursday he was stripped of his membership of the prestigious Gorsedd of the Bards Welsh arts association, and a number of other bodies have confirmed they are reviewing his honours.
A Cardiff University spokesman confirmed to the PA news agency on Friday that Edwards resigned from both his honorary professor title in the school of journalism, media and culture, and honorary fellowship.
“He is no longer an honorand of the university,” the spokesman said. “Our website listing of honorary fellows has been updated accordingly.”
Edwards, who graduated in French from Cardiff University, is also no longer an honorary fellow of Swansea University, the body confirmed.
A spokesman for York St John University said: “In light of the outcome of legal proceedings on Wednesday July 31 2024, the university’s honorary awards committee has taken the decision to rescind Mr Edwards’ honorary award with immediate effect.”
Edwards became an honorary doctor of letters at the Yorkshire education institution in 2019.