Former BBC presenter Huw Edwards has been charged with three counts of making indecent images of children, the Metropolitan Police said.
The newsreader is accused of having 31 indecent images of a child on a WhatsApp chat.
A Met Police spokesperson 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 November 8 2023. He was charged on Wednesday, June 26 following authorisation from the Crown Prosecution Service.
“He has been bailed to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, July 31.
“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 his BBC newsreader role in April after allegations about his personal life were published in The Sun newspaper.
According to the charges, Edwards is accused of having six images of a child in the most serious category A, as well as 12 in category B and 19 in category C.
It is alleged the former TV host made the images between December 16 2020 and April 14 2022 and they were “found on WhatsApp chat”.
The offences are contrary to sections 1(1)(a) and 6 of the Protection of Children Act 1978, and if found guilty, he could receive a maximum penalty of 10 years' imprisonment.
Edwards is expected to appear at Westminster magistrates court on Wednesday for a hearing at 10am.
Edwards, who was born in Bridgend and brought up in Llangennech, Carmarthenshire, joined the BBC as a trainee in 1984.
In four decades at the corporation, he was among the broadcaster’s most recognisable faces, leading coverage of historic events including the late Queen’s funeral in 2022 and most recently the coronation of the King in May 2023.
He also headlined coverage of other major events on the BBC, including the late Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012 and Platinum Jubilee in 2022, the wedding of the then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2011 and the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in 2018.
Before he stepped down, he was the BBC's highest-paid newsreader, with a pay bracket of £475,000 and £479,999 for the year 2023/24, according to the corporation’s annual report.
