Ex-BBC presenter charged with making indecent images of children

A former BBC presenter has been charged with three counts of making indecent images of children, London's Metropolitan Police Service said.

Huw Edwards , 62, was one of the BBC's most prominent figures before he was suspended in July 2023 and later resigned for health reasons.

Edwards had been the lead anchor on the BBC's nighttime news and led BBC coverage of the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022. He had been among the broadcaster's best-paid stars, with an annual salary of at least $565,000.

The charges relate to offenses that allegedly took place between December 2020 and April 2022 and involved images shared on WhatsApp, police said. Edwards was charged on June 26 following authorization from the Crown Prosecution Service and is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrate's Court on Wednesday.

Edwards is accused of having six category A images, the most serious classification of indecent images, on a phone, the BBC reported . He is also accused of making 12 category B pictures and 19 category C photographs.

If found guilty, Edwards could receive a sentence of up to six months in prison, the BBC reported.

"Media and the public are strongly reminded that this is an active case,'' police said in a statement. "Nothing should be published, including on social media, which could prejudice future court proceedings."

As the accusations became front-page news last July, Edwards' wife Vicky Flind said the father of five was "suffering from serious mental health issues" and had been admitted to a hospital.

Edwards himself has not publicly commented on the allegations.

AFP contributed to this report.