Huw Edwards charged with ‘making’ indecent images of children – but what does that mean?

Former BBC presenter Huw Edwards has pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children .

The 62-year-old admitted the offences as he appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday. The court was told that he had communicated with a man online who sent him 377 sexual images, 41 being indecent images of children. The veteran broadcaster had an indecent image on his phone of child as young as seven, the court was told.

The offence Edwards committed is called ‘making indecent images of children’ but what this means is easily misinterpreted due to its wording.

It does not mean Mr Edwards had arranged for the images to be made, nor does it mean he used any kind of AI software to artificially produce them.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) acknowledges that the offence has been widely interpreted over the years.

Online guidance from the CPS says: “Making indecent images can have a wide definition in the law and can include opening an email attachment containing such an image, downloading one from a website, or receiving one via social media, even if unsolicited and even if part of a group.”

Speaking in Edwards’ defence, barrister Philip Evans KC said: “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.”

“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.”

There are also three different categories of indecent images, as outlined by the Sentencing Council. Category A is the most severe, and includes images that contain penetrative sexual activity, sexual activity with animals or sadism.

Category B images involve non-penetrative sexual activity, while category C images are those which are indecent but do not qualify for A or B.

The indecent images that were sent to Mr Edwards included seven category A, 12 category B, and 22 category C.

Edwards is due to return to the same court to be sentenced on 16 September, and could be jailed for the offences.