BBC boss Tim Davie has admitted he knew Huw Edwards’ arrest was over the most serious level of sex abuse pics – but still kept paying him.
In an interview with BBC News tonight, the corporation’s Director General said it had taken “difficult decisions in a fair and judicious manner”.
Ex-BBC news anchor Edwards, 62, yesterday admitted being sent a string of child sex images – including sexual videos of a boy as young as seven.
Seven of the 41 images fall under Category A – the most serious classification. A further 12 images were grouped as Category B and 19 as Category C.
Edwards received the pictures on WhatsApp between December 2020 and August 2021.
The BBC was told in November that their star newsreader had been arrested over child sex images – but kept paying him for another five months.
It comes as…
Edwards – who had been suspended in relation to different allegations – remained employed on a full salary of nearly £480,000 until he quit the broadcaster on “medical advice” in April.
Davie tonight confirmed the Beeb did know Huw had committed “serious” offences, but was not aware of the ages of the children involved – nor what category they fell into.
He said: “We knew it was serious, we knew no specifics, apart from the category of the potential offences.”
“When it comes to the decision we made in November, we were obviously faced with a difficult decision, and we considered it very carefully.
“The police came to us and gave us information that they had arrested Mr Edwards.
“But they wanted to be assured of total confidence, and the reason they rung us at that point, it’s a technical process to ensure employees are protected and there’s no risk.”
He added: “Another factor at this point was very significant duty of care considerations. I think it was right for us to say we’d let the police do their business, and then when charges happen, we will act.”
Davie also addressed calls for Edwards to return parts of his salary and give up his pension.
He said: “No one likes to see this situation. But these are unfortunately the specifics of how it works.
“We can’t claw back the pension – it’s very difficult, nigh on impossible.
“I think when it comes to pay – again, legally challenging, but we’ll look at all options.”
Davie said the BBC was “not sitting on anything that I think we need to share with the police, or is of a serious nature that would make me feel that we hadn’t followed up properly”.
He added: “I can categorically say that when it comes to the offences we’ve seen, which are truly horrendous, any evidence that is out there is not in the hands of the BBC.
“If I saw evidence of that, that is not a complicated decision.”
The Metropolitan Police has confirmed that it told the BBC in “strict confidence” about the arrest of Huw Edwards in November, before he resigned from the corporation in April.
A statement from the force said: “The Met informed the BBC’s governance department that Huw Edwards had been arrested on November 8 2023.
“Common law police disclosure (CLPD) is the established legal mechanism through which the police can inform an individual’s employer when they are arrested or alleged to have committed an offence.
“It is often used where the individual holds a position of trust/responsibility with the public.
“The information is provided in strict confidence in order to enable the individual’s employer to consider what risk mitigation measures might be necessary.”
Under section 1 of Protection of Children Act 1978, it is an offence to possess indecent photographs of children.
The images are categorised under three groups ranging from A – the most serious – to C.
Source: The CPS
Davie was today hauled in by the Culture Secretary for an urgent explanation of the handling of the Huw Edwards scandal.
News at Ten anchor and “face of the BBC” Edwards yesterday pleaded guilty to three charges of making indecent images of children – and is facing a maximum 10 year sentence when he is sentenced on September 16.
Westminster Magistrates’ Court was told seven of the 41 images fall under Category A – the most serious classification.
They included two moving images of a young boy, possibly aged between seven and nine years old.
He also had photos of other children aged between 13 and 15 stored on his phone that were classed as Category A.
Edwards had engaged in an online chat with convicted paedo Alex Williams on WhatsApp between December 2020 and August 2021.
During this time, the paedo sent Edwards 377 sexual images, of which 41 were indecent images of children.
Police investigating Williams’ crimes seized a phone revealing a Whatsapp chat involving Edwards.
