Conclusion of an embarrassing case for the BBC. The former star presenter of the British public media group Huw Edwards was sentenced to six months in prison suspended on Monday 16 September for possession of child pornography. He is also required to undergo treatment.
Huw Edwards, 63, who has been inseparable from the most significant events in the United Kingdom since the early 2000s, pleaded guilty in July, which spared him a long and high-profile trial.
He could face 10 years in prison, but the judge at Westminster Magistrates Court followed the prosecution's submissions, which highlighted his psychological problems and the “genuine remorse” he expressed.
“Your reputation is in tatters,” Judge Paul Goldspring told the presenter as he handed down the sentence.
During the hearing, Edwards' lawyer Philip Evans said his client acknowledged the “disgusting nature” of the images he had received and was “deeply sorry”. “He has betrayed the inestimable trust of so many people,” he insisted, while Edwards only spoke at the start of the hearing to confirm his identity.
“Shocked and horrified”
The case caused a huge stir in Britain and embarrassed the BBC. In early August, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was “shocked and appalled”.
“We are appalled by his crimes. He has not only betrayed the BBC, but the public who trusted him,” a BBC spokesperson said in a written statement.
Huw Edwards, married and father of five, was born in Wales. He joined the BBC in 1984. A political journalist, he became the presenter of the 6pm news in 1994, before becoming the face of the 10pm news. His calm demeanour, combined with the broadcaster's reputation for impartiality, made him a reliable and reassuring presence for millions of viewers.
From the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton (2011) to the announcement of the death of Queen Elizabeth II (2022): Huw Edwards was the highest paid journalist with a salary for the year 2023/2024 of more than 475,000 pounds (more than 560,000 euros).
41 images held
His downfall came abruptly in the summer of 2023, when The Sun tabloid alleged that he had paid a teenager in exchange for sexual photos and was suspended. No charges were brought at the time. But new accusations led the courts to charge him in June 2024, two months after his resignation.
This time, the investigation shows that Huw Edwards was in contact on WhatsApp with a man who was sending him child pornography images. The charges against him related to 41 images, some of which showed a child aged between seven and nine, received between December 2020 and August 2021.
The illegal images found were “clearly sent with Mr Edwards' consent”, according to the prosecution. Huw Edwards' lawyer insisted that his client had only received the images, without sharing them.
The affair has dealt a major blow to the BBC. Severely criticised for its handling of the scandal, it carried out an internal investigation which concluded that its procedures for dealing with complaints about the behaviour of its employees were inadequate.
The audiovisual giant, which said it was “shocked” by the affair, announced that it was seeking to recover the salaries paid to its former presenter after his arrest last November. The group remains traumatised by its handling of several sex scandals, first and foremost the Jimmy Savile affair, which broke out in 2012 a year after the death of this star presenter, who had raped and sexually assaulted minors for decades.
Original article published on BFMTV.com
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