Former BBC newsreader Huw Edwards has been charged by police over indecent images of children.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson told British press: “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 November 8, it added. He was charged on June 26 following authorisation from the Crown Prosecution Service, and he has been bailed to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday July 31, in just two days’ time.
“Media and the public are strongly reminded that this is an active case,” added the statement. “Nothing should be published, including on social media, which could prejudice future court proceedings.”
UK Ministry of Justice guidelines define a child as anyone under the age of 18. “Making” indecent images can include opening an attachment containing an image, downloading an image from a website onto a computer screen, receiving an image via social media or live-streaming images of children. Edwards’ offences carry a jail term of up to 10 years.
Edwards, who was one of the British broadcaster’s top-paid presenters last year, officially resigned from the corporation in April, at which point the BBC said the decision had been taken on “medical advice” after “40 years of service.”
This came almost a year after reports claimed that the newsreader had paid a young person thousands of pounds for sexually explicit images. His name was not initially disclosed by The Sun but after days of speculation, Edwards, who was in hospital at the time, was outed as the person being accused of sending the photos. He was then signed off work until his official resignation several weeks back.
But the news today reveals that when Edwards resigned he had been being investigated by police for five months.
Making things more embarrassing for the BBC, last week he was revealed to have taken home his biggest pay packet from the corporation since 2019, earning as much as £480,000 ($620,000) even though he was off air for eight months.
In the meantime, the BBC published a review into Edwards’ behavior saying it had failed to “consider the potential wider significance” of the complaint made against him and apologizing to the complainant about the speed by which it was escalated. Another review, a ‘factfinding investigation,’ is yet to publish.
The BBC declined comment on Edwards being charged.
Prior to the allegations, Edwards had had a stellar TV career, helming the news for decades, leading the 2019 general election coverage and announcing Queen Elizabeth II’s death in September 2022.