Huw Edwards to face minimum sentence of 12 months in prison following guilty plea

Huw Edwards has pleaded guilty at Westminster Magistrates’ Court to three counts of making indecent images of children.

Speaking in court, Huw's barrister Philip Evans KC said: "It is obvious to the court, I’m sure, that Mr Edwards was not just of good character, but of exceptional character… There’s no suggestion in this case that Mr Edwards has… in the traditional sense of the word, created any image of any sort. It is important also to remember for context that devices, Mr Edwards’ devices, have been seized, have been searched, and there’s nothing in those devices.

© Aaron Chown - PA Images

"It is only the images that are the subject of the charges that came via a WhatsApp chat. Mr Edwards did not keep any images, did not send any to anyone else and did not and has not sought similar images from anywhere else." The court was told that the offended has a starting point of 12 months in prison, with his barrister claiming that there were mitigating factors and asking for a suspended sentence. He will be sentenced on 16 September.

The former BBC newsreader arrived at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday morning in a dark blue suit while wearing sunglasses. The TV personality, who left the BBC on medical advice in 2023, had a neutral expression as police helped him through the crowd of photographers and crowds holding placards and into the courtroom.

© Jonathan Brady - PA Images

Huw has been charged with making indecent images of children. He has been accused of having 37 photographs on WhatsApp; six category A images, 12 category B pictures and 19 category C photographs, with category A being the most serious type.

The 62-year-old was arrested in November 2023 and charged on 26 June. It has since been reported that he has split from his wife Vicky Flind following the arrest. According to the Independent, it is understood that the pair have not divorced, but are living apart.

She released a statement to the press following the initial report from The Sun that claimed that Huw had been paying a teenager for photos. She said: "In light of the recent reporting regarding the ‘BBC presenter’ I am making this statement on behalf of my husband Huw Edwards, after what have been five extremely difficult days for our family. I am doing this primarily out of concern for his mental well-being and to protect our children.

© Neil Mockford

"Huw is suffering from serious mental health issues. As is well documented, he has been treated for severe depression in recent years. The events of the last few days have greatly worsened matters, he has suffered another serious episode and is now receiving in-patient hospital care where he’ll stay for the foreseeable future."

The 'young person' in question denied the story via his lawyers at the time, telling The Guardian: "For the avoidance of doubt, nothing inappropriate or unlawful has taken place between our client and the BBC personality and the allegations reported in the Sun newspaper are rubbish."

What do the charges mean?

According to the CPS, 'making indecent images of children' can include openings, accessing, downloading or storing content, or receiving an image via social media even if unsolicited or part of a group.