Huw Edwards has pled responsible to a few fees of creating indecent photographs of kids throughout his first look in a U.Ok. courtroom.
On Wednesday morning, Edwards appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court docket in London to acknowledge the costs earlier than Chief Justice of the Peace Paul Goldspring and a packed press gallery.
The previous BBC information anchor, who was as soon as one of many highest paid figures on the BBC, confirmed no emotion as he was led by way of Courtroom 1 and into the glass-panelled dock, wearing a darkish go well with, white shirt and blue tie. Whereas he entered the courthouse in darkish sun shades, he had eliminated these earlier than coming into the courtroom.
Edwards spoke solely to provide his title, date of beginning and his partial U.Ok. tackle, to enter his plea for every cost and to verify he understood the bail circumstances. His counsel requested that, in contravention of U.Ok. courtroom custom, Edwards mustn’t learn out his full tackle as a result of “unstable” state of affairs outdoors the courtroom which included protests.
The prosecutor defined how the photographs had been despatched to him through WhatsApp by “an grownup man who contacted Mr Edwards on social media.” They had been robotically saved to his telephone. Edwards requested the WhatsApp sender to cease sending “unlawful” photographs of underage youngsters. The chat continued thereafter with “additional authorized pornographic photographs” being despatched.
The costs associated to 41 photographs and movies that had been shared on the messaging website between 2020 and 2022. Six of these had been Class A, thought-about probably the most critical.
The utmost sentence is 10 years in jail.
The sentencing has been adjourned till September for a pre-sentence report. Within the meantime, Edwards has been launched on conditional bail.
His lawyer advised the courtroom in mitigation that Edwards was a person “not solely of excellent character however of exemplary character.” He additionally added there have been psychological well being points at play “on the time of the offending and now.” The lawyer was additionally eager to emphasise that Edwards had not “made” any photographs or movies within the “conventional” sense.
The information anchor, who had spent 40 years on the BBC, resigned in April citing medical recommendation. He had been on a 10-month absence of depart after a tabloid newspaper revealed a senior presenter on the BBC had been concerned in a intercourse photograph scandal. Though Edwards was not initially named, after rumors reached fever pitch his spouse made an announcement confirming the BBC anchor was implicated and had checked right into a hospital for psychological well being remedy.
