The BBC was blindsided by the criminal charges against former presenter Huw Edwards, with bosses only told of the allegations a few hours before they were made public, an insider has claimed.
Edwards is due in court tomorrow having been accused of child pornography offences after 37 indecent images were allegedly shared on a WhatsApp chat.
Scotland Yard confirmed the 62-year-old broadcaster was facing three charges of making indecent images of children between December 2020 and April 2022.
He was arrested on November 8 last year and charged just over a month ago on June 26 following authorisation from the Crown Prosecution Service.
A BBC insider reportedly said the corporation only found out Edwards was facing criminal charges hours before it was made public, according to The Times.
Members of staff were rocked by the news, which they said senior management must have been unaware of.
A senior source told The Times: ‘The BBC was informed by the Met Police when a call came through [on Monday].’
Former BBC host Huw Edwards has been charged with making indecent images of children
Huw Edwards and his wife Vicky, pictured in South London in 2018. They have five children
Edwards – who helmed royal and political events at the BBC before resigning in April – has been bailed and will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court this Wednesday.
According to the charge sheet, Edwards is accused of having six category A images, 12 category B pictures and 19 category C photographs on WhatsApp.
The offences are contrary to sections 1(1)(a) and 6 of the Protection of Children Act 1978, and if convicted he could face a maximum of up to 10 years in prison.
Category A involves images involving penetrative sexual activity, sexual activity with an animal or sadism; Category B covers images which show non-penetrative sexual activity; while Category C is for indecent images not within categories B or C.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman told MailOnline yesterday: ‘Huw Edwards, 62, of Southwark, London has been charged with three counts of making indecent images of children following a Met Police investigation.
‘The offences, which are alleged to have taken place between December 2020 and April 2022, relate to images shared on a WhatsApp chat.
Huw Edwards is seen walking through London’s Marylebone on June 17 last year with his ID tag
‘Edwards was arrested on November 8, 2023. He was charged on Wednesday, 26 June following authorisation from the Crown Prosecution Service. He has been bailed to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, July 31.’
The resignation from the BBC by married father-of-five Edwards in April followed allegations that he paid someone for sexually explicit pictures.
The Metropolitan Police and South Wales Police both said in July last year that no criminal offence had been committed by Edwards.
Edwards was absent from screens from when the story first broke in July 2023 until his exit in April 2024.
Huw Edwards helmed major royal and political events at the BBC before resigning in April
He remained on the payroll while suspended, which is normal BBC policy, and was suffering from serious mental health issues and received in-patient hospital care.
The BBC confirmed at the time of his departure that he had not received a pay-off and was leaving ‘on the basis of medical advice from his doctors’.
He had long been a fixture in the coverage of major political and royal events, announcing Queen Elizabeth II’s death on the BBC and presenting coverage of her funeral.
He also anchored the BBC’s broadcast of the King’s coronation last year.
Last week the BBC confirmed Edwards was paid more than £475,000 in 2023/24 before he resigned and left.
Huw Edwards will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (file picture)
The veteran newsreader was paid between £475,000 and £479,999 for the year 2023/24 for 160 presenting days, BBC One news specials, election specials and other television programming, according to the BBC’s annual report.
This marked an increase from 2022/23, when he was paid between £435,000 and 439,999 for 180 days presenting on BBC One, as well as news specials.
Throughout the years, Edwards presented the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012 and Platinum Jubilee in 2022, the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (now the Prince and Princess of Wales) in 2011, the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in 2018, and the funeral of Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in 2021.
The BBC News At Ten presenter was also the broadcaster’s voice at Trooping the Colour and the Festival of Remembrance, and took over election coverage from the long-serving David Dimbleby in 2019.