Former BBC presenter Huw Edwards has been charged with making indecent images of children, the Metropolitan Police has said.
The veteran journalist, 62, who quit the Beeb after 40 years in April, faces three charges over alleged activity between December 2020 and April 2022.
The offences are claimed to be linked to images shared on WhatsApp, police said.
Edwards will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday morning.
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.
If found guilty, he could receive a maximum penalty of six months in prison and an unlimited fine.
Police said Edwards was arrested on 8 November last year and charged just over a month ago on 26 June following authorisation from the Crown Prosecution Service.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “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.
“Edwards was arrested on 8 November 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, 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.”
It comes less than a week after it was revealed that Edwards received a £40,000 pay rise from the BBC in the last year, despite being suspended for most of that time.
In the corporation’s annual report, it was revealed that Edwards earned between £475,000-£479,999, up from £435,000-£439,999 in the previous report.
The BBC’s director general Tim Davie said the pay rise was due to the BBC trying to act “proportionally”.
“I think that’s what we did and it ended up in the conclusion, we all know, but I think we wouldn’t have wasted money if we weren’t doing the right thing,” he said.
“In terms of the increase in pay prior to any breaking of the story … You know, people do get, as you’ll have seen, overall, our pay progress is pretty good … But people on the list would be getting pay rises for extended responsibility, and actually, if they’re doing more … So that is fairly normal business, and that’s what would result in the change.”
During his career, he fronted BBC’s News At Ten for 20 years and anchored coverage of major national events including announcing Queen Elizabeth II’s death on the BBC and presenting coverage of her funeral.
He also helmed the BBC’s broadcast of the King’s coronation last year.
Throughout the years he 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.