Former BBC presenter Huw Edwards facing charges of making indecent pictures of children

Huw Edwards, a former BBC presenter, has been charged with three counts of making indecent pictures of children.

Edwards, who spent more than 20 years at the BBC, eventually rising to become one of the biggest faces at the broadcaster. He anchored the signature “BBC News at Ten” but resigned on “medical advice” in April 2024 after disappearing from the air in the summer of 2023.

Reports later indicated that an unnamed BBC presenter was facing legal accusations. That person was eventually identified as Edwards, who was accused of allegedly paying thousands of pounds for sexually explicit photos. 

Edwards was suspended by the BBC and later took a leave of absence. 

Edwards is facing three charges of allegedly making “an indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of a child” between December 200 and April 2023. 

Court documents show the charges involve seven Category A images, which amount to the most serious classification under British law, 12 Category B images and 22 Category C images. The material was allegedly shared via WhatsApp and discovered on a child’s device, according to police. 

Edwards, 62, was arrested Nov. 8, 2023, and formerly charged July 26, 2024.

He is now due in court Wednesday, July 31, 2024. If found guilty, he could face up to 10 years behind bars.

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Edwards had been the BBC’s highest-paid employee, making between £475,000, or $610,000 and £479,999, or $616,000, from April 2023 to March 2024, according to the broadcaster’s recently released annual report.

A previous version of this story reported different numbers for the various image categories allegedly received by Edwards. Different figures were reported on July 31, 2024, so this story has been updated.