London — Huw Edwards, the BBC’s former lead information presenter, pleaded accountable Wednesday to a few counts of making indecent images of children. The offenses he pleaded accountable to at Westminster Magistrates’ Courtroom in central London throughout a 26-minute listening to concerned photographs shared on WhatsApp between December 2020 and August 2021 through a person who had to begin with contacted Edwards by way of social media.
Edwards, who used to be the supremacy anchor at the BBC’s middle of the night information for twenty years and led the society broadcaster’s protection of the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, has been remanded on bail till a pre-sentencing listening to on Sept. 16. He may resist 10 years in jail, regardless that the prosecution conceded {that a} suspended sentence is also suitable.
The courtroom heard that Edwards, 62, used to be fascinated about an internet chat with an grownup guy at the messaging provider who despatched him 377 sexual photographs, of which 41 had been indecent photographs of youngsters.
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The pictures that had been despatched incorporated seven of what are referred to as “category A,” which can be essentially the most indecent. Of the ones, the estimated generation of lots of the kids used to be between 13 and 15, however one used to be elderly between 7 and 9.
The courtroom additionally heard that the unnamed male requested Edwards on Feb. 2, 2021 whether or not what he used to be sending used to be too younger. Edwards instructed him to not ship any underage photographs. 5 extra, regardless that, had been despatched, and the alternate of pornographic photographs persisted till April 2022.
“Accessing indecent images of underage people perpetuates the sexual exploitation of children, which has deep, long-lasting trauma on these victims,” stated Claire Brinton of the Crown Prosecution Carrier.
Talking in Edwards’ protection, his attorney Philip Evans stated there may be “no suggestion” that his shopper had “in the traditional sense of the word, created any image of any sort.”
Edwards, he added, “did not keep any images, did not send any to anyone else and did not and has not sought similar images from anywhere else.” He added that Edwards had “both mental and physical” fitness problems and that he’s “not just of good character, but of exceptional character.”
Prosecutor Ian Hope instructed the courtroom that Edwards’ “genuine remorse” used to be one reason a suspended sentence could be thought to be. Atmosphere out the possible consequences beneath the regulation, he stated that the place there may be the probability of rehabilitation, a folk sequence and sexual culprit remedy program might be thought to be as choices to jail.
A spokesperson for the Nationwide Public for the Prevention of Cruelty to Kids stated there will have to be “no doubt” concerning the seriousness of Edwards’ crimes.
“It can be extremely traumatic for young people to know sexual images of themselves have been shared online,” the spokesperson stated. “We also need to see online platforms do much more to identify and disrupt child abuse in private messaging services in order to safeguard young people.”
Edwards, who used to be one of the crucial BBC’s lead earners, used to be suspended in July 2023 for detached claims made terminating presen. He upcoming resigned for fitness causes.
