Former BBC presenter Huw Edwards faces potential imprisonment after admitting to charges related to indecent images of children.
On Wednesday, the 62-year-old newsreader pleaded guilty at Westminster Magistrates' Court to three counts involving 41 illegal images found in a WhatsApp chat.
In court, Edwards confirmed his identity and repeatedly stated “guilty” as the charges were read. The court was informed that Edwards received the illicit images from another individual via WhatsApp in 2020 and 2021, alongside legally permissible pornography.
Among the material were videos depicting severe sexual abuse of children aged between seven and nine, while other images involved children aged 12 to 15. Edwards is scheduled for sentencing in September, during which he will present evidence of his mental and physical health issues as part of his defense.
Edwards resigned from the BBC on medical advice after last year being named as the presenter at the centre of days of allegations and speculation. The Sun newspaper first reported that the presenter, who at that point was unnamed, was alleged to have paid a young person for sexually explicit photos.
Here is a detailed timeline of the sequence of events leading to the allegations against Edwards, his subsequent resignation and his court appearance:
April 2023
The BBC reported that South Wales Police was contacted by the parents of a 20-year-old claiming the individual had been paid for sexually explicit photos. Initially, the police stated that "no criminality was identified."
However, subsequent meetings between the force, the Metropolitan Police, and the BBC led to further developments. As a result, ongoing inquiries were launched to determine if there was any evidence of a criminal offense.
May 18-19, 2023
A family member of the then 17-year-old went to a BBC building, reportedly in Cardiff, to make a complaint about the behaviour of a then-unnamed presenter allegedly initiating payments in 2020. The family expressed frustration as the presenter continued to appear on air, requesting the broadcaster stop him from "sending the cash."
The following day, the family member placed a 29-minute call to the BBC's audience services team, which then referred the matter to the BBC's corporate investigations team. While the team determined that the complaint did not contain allegations of criminality, they deemed it "very serious" and worthy of further investigation, according to Director General Tim Davie.
The investigations unit sent an email to the complainant requesting additional information to substantiate the claims and conducted checks to verify the complainant's identity.
June 6, 2023
The BBC’s investigations team did not receive a response to their email, so they attempted to call the mobile number provided by the complainant. However, the call didn’t connect.
According to a report by The Sun, the family claimed that "no one from the corporation called them for a proper interview after the initial complaint." The BBC confirmed that no further attempts to contact the complainant were made after this point, though the case "remained open."
July 6, 2023
The BBC received new allegations against the male presenter. The network stated: "New allegations were put to us on Thursday of a different nature, and in addition to our own inquiries, we have also been in touch with external authorities, in line with our protocols."
The Sun newspaper told the BBC via the corporate press office about allegations concerning the then unnamed presenter. According to the BBC, the claims made by the Sun contained new allegations, which were different from those received by the investigations team.
The BBC said this was the first time Mr Davie or any executive directors were made aware of the case. They set up an incident management group to lead the response.
A senior manager spoke to the presenter about the allegations, and Edwards first learned of the allegations on this day, his wife said. The BBC said it was agreed that he should not appear on air while the allegations were being investigated.
When later asked why the presenter was not spoken to sooner, Mr Davie said: "You don't take that complaint directly to the presenter unless it has been verified."
July 7, 2023
The Sun published their exclusive interview and described the broadcaster as "a familiar face known to millions," who receives a six-figure salary from the corporation.
In the interview, the youth's mother claimed that the presenter requested "performances" and that she had seen bank statements showing payments totaling more than £35,000, including a single lump sum of £5,000. The mother stated that her now 20-year-old child had used the presenter's money to support a serious drug problem.
That evening, a legal representative for the young person involved denied the claims, stating there was “no truth to it.”
The BBC responded by stating: “We treat any allegations very seriously and we have processes in place to proactively deal with them.”
It said it would “take steps” to investigate further “if we receive information”, including “actively attempting to speak to those who have contacted us in order to seek further detail and understanding of the situation”.
July 8, 2023
Several BBC presenters, including Gary Lineker, Jeremy Vine, Rylan Clark, and Nicky Campbell, publicly clarified their lack of involvement in the allegations.
Taking to social media at the time, Clark said he was filming in Italy for the BBC, writing on X: “Not sure why my names floating about but re that story in the sun - that ain't me babe.” Whilst Lineker added also on X: “Hate to disappoint the haters but it's not me.”The Sun also released an update to its allegations, claiming that the youth's mother had viewed images of the presenter in his underwear while sitting on his sofa. The picture was reportedly captured during a video call between them.
July 9, 2023
The BBC announced the suspension of a male presenter from all duties and informed the Metropolitan Police about the allegations. In a statement, it said the situation was “complex and fast moving” and the corporation is “working as quickly as possible to establish the facts.
“New allegations were put to us on Thursday of a different nature and in addition to our own enquiries we have also been in touch with external authorities, in line with our protocols.”
The Sun also alleged the presenter had made two calls to the young person, urging them to ask their mother to “stop the investigation.”
July 10, 2023
The Metropolitan Police began further inquiries to determine if any crime had been committed after meeting with BBC representatives virtually.
The police requested the BBC pause its internal investigation. A lawyer representing the young person called the allegations "rubbish" and insisted nothing inappropriate or unlawful occurred.
July 11, 2023
A second individual, reportedly in their early 20s, came forward, alleging they felt threatened by messages from the presenter. They claimed to have met the presenter on a dating app, with subsequent communication moving to other platforms. The young person suggested online they might reveal the presenter’s identity, leading to “threatening messages” allegedly from the presenter. The BBC confirmed seeing the messages and noted the young person felt “threatened” and “remain scared.”
Separately, The Sun reported that a 17-year-old alleged receiving messages with love hearts and kisses from the presenter on Instagram.
July 12, 2023
Vicky Flind, the wife of Huw Edwards, issued a statement revealing him as the individual involved. She noted he was experiencing serious mental health issues and was receiving in-patient hospital care and requested privacy for their family.
The Sun's report suggested the presenter violated COVID-19 lockdown rules by traveling to meet a 23-year-old in February 2021. It was also claimed Edwards provided more than £600 in three payments. The outlet stated it would hand over evidence to BBC’s investigation team.
Broadcaster Jeremy Vine urged Edwards to publicly identify himself to protect the "BBC, his friends, and those falsely accused." While Prime Minister Rishi Sunak expressed concern over the "serious" nature of the allegations.
Both the Metropolitan Police and South Wales Police concluded that no criminal offence had been committed by Edwards, and neither would pursue further action. The BBC announced the resumption of its "fact-finding investigations," emphasising “due process and a thorough assessment of the facts, whilst continuing to be mindful of our duty of care to all involved”.
July 13, 2023
The BBC then resumed its investigation into Edwards following police findings that no criminal behavior was detected regarding claims he paid a young person for explicit images.
Director General Tim Davie also requested a separate review to assess whether the BBC's complaints procedures were adequate. It emerged that the BBC had only contacted the family behind the allegations about Edwards twice, despite considering the claims “very serious.”
Mark Damazer, former controller of Radio 4, emphasized the need for the BBC to exercise proper duty of care. On Radio 4's Today, he stressed: “It is crucial that Tim Davie and the BBC take their time to reach well-considered, evidence-based conclusions, without rushing due to external pressures.”
February 27, 2024
The BBC issued an apology to the family involved in the scandal, as revealed in a report commissioned following the incident. The corporation acknowledged deficiencies in its complaint-handling process, which they planned to address moving forward.
Leigh Tavaziva, BBC Group Chief Operating Officer, stated at the time: "The report identifies specific process shortcomings in the presenter case. The initial complaint was not escalated quickly enough to senior management, and we have apologised to the complainant for this.”
Tavaziva added: “While our current processes generally function well, this review shows the need for better integration to ensure non-editorial complaints are swiftly escalated and handled by the appropriate personnel. We fully accept the review's recommended improvements and have already begun implementing an action plan."
April 22, 2024
Huw Edwards resigned from his position at the BBC, ending his career with the corporation that had kept him off-air since July 2023. In a statement, the BBC confirmed: “Huw Edwards has today resigned and left the BBC. After 40 years of service, Huw explained his decision was based on medical advice from his doctors. The BBC has accepted his resignation, believing it will allow all parties to move forward. We don’t believe it appropriate to comment further."
BBC culture and media editor Katie Razzall reported that Edwards would not receive a severance package. Despite being off-air since July, Edwards, one of the BBC's highest-paid presenters, reportedly earned £439,000 in the previous year.
He had been a prominent figure at the broadcaster, notably receiving acclaim for his coverage of significant events, including the death of Queen Elizabeth in September 2022.
July 29, 2024
The Metropolitan Police announced that the former BBC presenter has been charged with three counts of making indecent images of children. 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.”
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.
July 30, 2024
It’s reported that Edwards has separated from his TV producer wife, Flind. He is believed to have moved out of their family home in Dulwich, south London, several months ago.
July 31, 2024
The shamed newsreader pleaded guilty at Westminster magistrates court to three criminal charges relating to 41 illegal images of a child found on a WhatsApp chat. In the dock on Wednesday, Edwards spoke to confirm his identity before repeating the word ‘guilty’ three times. The court heard Edwards received the illegal pictures from another man via WhatsApp in 2020 and 2021, among a cache of legal pornography.
Two of the videos send to Edwards and opened by the News at Ten host involved serious sexual offending against children aged between seven and nine-years-old, the court heard. Other material is believed to involve children aged from 12 to 15. Edwards is set to be sentenced in September, when he will put forward evidence of mental and physical health struggles as mitigation.
He arrived at court wearing a dark blue suit, pale blue tie, and donning Ray Ban sunglasses, and was ushered into the building by a team of eight waiting Metropolitan Police officers. He made no comment as he was escorted past the banks of waiting photographers, together with protesters brandishing anti-BBC placards, and was silent again as he left court.“Mr Edwards engaged in online chat with an adult male who contacted Mr Edwards by social media”, said prosecutor Ian Hope. He said a chat thread on WhatsApp was found on Edward’s phone, with the other man “sending still and moving pornographic images to Mr Edwards”.
Mr Hope said it is “clear” Edwards wanted to receive the images, and among 377 pictures and videos there were 41 involving children. “The male queried whether stuff he was sending was ‘too young’, to which Mr Edwards responded telling the male not to send him under age.
“From this point, in February 2021, a further five indecent images of children were sent to Mr Edwards and read or opened by him within the chat.”
When the other man sent a video and told Edwards the person involved was “quite young looking”, and Edwards again said to “not send him illegal images”, the court heard. Mr Hope told the hearing that “two moving images within seven category A (most serious) images have a younger child”, and confirmed police believe the child’s age is between seven and nine years old.
“The maximum sentence is ten years”, he added. Philip Evans KC, for Edwards, told the court: “He didn’t keep the images, he didn’t send to anyone else. “He hasn’t sought any similar images from anywhere else.”
He added that Edwards will say he was suffering from mental and physical health difficulties “both at the time of the offending and now”.
August 3, 2024
The teenager at the centre of allegations Edwards paid for sexual photos said he felt “groomed” by the broadcaster and “sick” after learning he was charged with child sex crimes.
The unnamed young man whose contact with the broadcaster was first exposed by The Sun newspaper, told the Mirror newspaper he “stayed silent for so long to protect Huw, but I feel sick at what has happened”.
He said he first contacted the 62-year-old newsreader for help, among other celebrities, having spent a few nights at a homeless shelter.
“Although it was a friendship at the beginning, it did change. He would say things like, ‘Are you going to do something for me then?’ I needed help, so I did.
“I feel like he sort of fed on my vulnerability…as he knew I needed the money. I felt like I was being groomed.”
The young man admitted sending explicit messages and videos to Edwards, who is said to have sent £35,000 in return over two years.
The young man said he received a text from an unknown number in October after the events had unfolded, which turned out to be Edwards.
“I think it was about two weeks before he got arrested. The message said ‘guess who’ or something like that,” he said.
“The message said ‘don’t say my name on here… just call me’. So I phoned him and he said download the messaging app Signal. And he said we can catch up on there.
“He said, ‘What’s been going on? I really care about you’. He had no remorse for anything at all.”
August 9, 2024
BBC chairman Samir Shah described Edwards as a “villain” who “behaved in bad faith”, taking “licence fee money to the tune of hundreds of thousands of pounds” despite knowing “what he had done”.
The disgraced presenter received an estimated £200,000 between his arrest in November 2023 and resignation in April.
The BBC has asked Edwards to return the salary he was paid during the period following his arrest and said he had “undermined trust in the BBC and brought us into disrepute”.
In an email to BBC colleagues on Friday Mr Shah said the corporation ought to “do more” to “try and get our culture right”.
He added that the executive had to navigate a “complex situation” by dealing with both the complaints made by colleagues and the police investigation into Edwards.
Mr Shah said “people must be treated with respect and in line with our values” and added that the independent review announced “is vital”.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said she welcomed the BBC’s decision to commission a review that will “make recommendations on practical steps that could strengthen a workplace culture in line with BBC values”.
The BBC will set out terms of reference and leadership of the independent review in early September.
