Former BBC News anchor Huw Edwards has been charged with making indecent images of children.
London’s Metropolitan Police said on Monday that Edwards, who was the anchor chosen to break the news of Queen Elizabeth II’s death in 2022, had been charged with three counts of the offense.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson told Variety: “Huw Edwards, 62, of Southwark, London has been charged with three counts of making indecent images of children following a Met Police investigation. The offenses, 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 authorization 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.”
Edwards resigned from the BBC in April citing “medical advice” following a 10-month absence of leave. He first took a leave of absence after being accused of paying a teenager for sexually explicit photographs.
Before the scandal, Edwards was one of the most senior on-air anchors at the BBC and the fourth highest paid individual, having spent 40 years at the corporation. After news of the picture messaging broke, Edwards’ wife Vicky Flind said her husband had been suffering “serious mental health issues” and had been hospitalized for treatment.
A spokesperson for the BBC declined to comment.