Huw Edwards poses for photographers upon arrival for a the Royal Television Society Awards in central London, Tuesday, Mar 19, 2019. Culture secretary Lisa Nandy has called BBC chief Tim Davie for an urgent meeting after Huw Edwards admitted to accessing indecent images of children.
The former BBC presenter, who used to front the channel’s major coverage, pleaded guilty to three charges of making indecent images on Wednesday.
His plea has raised questions for the corporation as he was still in its employ months after the BBC found out about his arrest.
Nandy is expected to ask Davie why Edwards was still receiving his taxpayer-funded salary, as the BBC’s highest-paid newsreader, until April this year, six months after his arrest.
Immediately after Edwards’ guilty plea, the BBC said it was aware of his arrest on “suspicion of serious offences” back in November.
It said it would have acted “immediately to dismiss him” had Edwards been charged while employed by them.
Edwards was sent 41 illegal images by convicted paedophile Alex Williams.
The presenter was only investigated by the Metropolitan Police after officers found their WhatsApp conversation in an “entirely unrelated” probe.
Seven of those images fell into the most serious type, category A – involving penetrative sexual activity and sexual activity with an animal, or sadism – while 12 photos were category B and 22 were category C.
The estimated ages of most of the children in the images was between 13 and 15, although prosecutors said there were two moving images which possibly showed a child between seven and nine years old.
Edwards’ defence said there is no suggestion the presenter made or created the images.
The term in the charges against Edward can refer to opening, accessing, downloading and storing such content, according to the Criminal Prosecution Service.
Speaking on Wednesday following the former presenter’s plea, the BBC said:
“In November 2023, whilst Mr Edwards was suspended, the BBC as his employer at the time was made aware in confidence that he had been arrested on suspicion of serious offences and released on bail whilst the police continued their investigation.
“At the time, no charges had been brought against Mr Edwards and the BBC had also been made aware of significant risk to his health.
“The BBC is shocked to hear the details which had emerged in court today.
“There can be no place for such abhorrent behaviour and our thoughts are with all those affected.
“Today we have learnt of the conclusion of the police process in the details as presented to the court.
“If at any point during the period Mr Edwards was employed by the BBC he had been charged, the BBC had determined it would act immediately to dismiss him.
“In the end, at the point of charge, he was no longer an employee of the BBC.
“During this period, in the usual way, the BBC has kept its corporate management of these issues separate from its independent editorial functions.”
Edwards resigned in April “on the basis of medical advice from his doctors” after separate allegations that he had paid a young person for sexually explicit photos.
He was suspended by the BBC, but the police later concluded no criminal offence had taken place in this case.
The family of the unnamed young person complained to the BBC in May 2023 about the then-presenter, and he was publicly named as the person involved in the investigation that July.
Only last month, the BBC’s annual report shows Edwards was paid between £475,000 and £479,000 for the year 2023/24 for 160 days of presenting before his resignation.
This was a pay increase from the previous year, where he was paid between £435,000 and £439,000.
Williams was charged in relation to his online conversations with Edwards between December 2020 and August 2021.
He was convicted of seven offences and received a 12-month suspended sentences.
The presenter will appear in court again on 16 September.
Prosecutor Ian Hope said a suspended sentence may be considered for him.
