Authorities have reportedly charged former BBC news anchor Huw Edwards in connection with “indecent images of children,” according to the Metropolitan Police (MP).
A spokesperson from the MP issued a statement to the British press, updating the matter, according to Deadline.
“Huw Edwards, 62, of Southwark, London has been charged with three counts of making indecent images of children following a Met Police investigation,” the MP said, the outlet reported. “The offences, which are alleged to have taken place between December 2020 and April 2022, relate to images shared on a WhatsApp chat.”
LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 14: Huw Edwards attends the 2023 BAFTA Television Awards with P&O Cruises at The Royal Festival Hall on May 14, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Joe Maher/Getty Images)
The statement obtained by Deadline noted that Edwards was arrested November 8. He was formally charged June 26, following the Crown Prosecution Service’s approval, the outlet reported. He was released on bail and is set to appear before the Westminster Magistrates’ Court on July 31, according to Deadline.
“Media and the public are strongly reminded that this is an active case,” the MP’s statement reportedly read. “Nothing should be published, including on social media, which could prejudice future court proceedings.”
LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 22: Broadcaster Huw Edwards makes a speech before unveiling a blue plaque for 18th-century polymath Richard Price on February 22, 2023 in London, England. Price was born in Llangeinor, Wales, in 1723 but spent most of his adult life as minister of Newington Green Unitarian Church. He edited, published and developed the Bayes–Price theorem and the field of actuarial science. He also wrote on issues of demography and finance, and was a Fellow of the Royal Society. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
U.K. law defines a ‘child’ as being a person under the age of 18, and defines “making” indecent images to mean opening an online attachment with an image, downloading an image onto a computer via a website, obtaining images of children through social media platforms or live-streaming such images, according to the Crown Prosecution Service.
Edwards reportedly faces as much as 10 years behind bars, if convicted on all charges. (RELATED: ‘I Am Disgusted’: YouTube Star MrBeast Addresses Alleged Child Grooming Scandal)
Edwards was one of the top-paid British broadcasters in 2023, according to a BBC annual report. Initial reports alleging that he had paid a young person thousands of pounds in exchange for sexually explicit images first surfaced a year before his arrest, according to Deadline. He reportedly resigned from his position in April, with the BBC saying he was following “medical advice.”
BBC published a review into his conduct, and admitted they had failed to “consider the potential wider significance” of the complaint made against him, Deadline previously reported.
Edwards’ upcoming court dates have not been made public at this time.
