Former BBC newsreader being sentenced for making indecent images of children

Prosecutor Ian Hope is opening the case against Huw Edwards, whom he describes as a "well known journalist and broadcaster", at Westminster Magistrates' Court. 

He says Alex Williams, then a 19-year-old university student, made contact with Edwards in early 2018 over social media while he was "randomly attempting to contact famous people hoping someone would respond". 

They talked online for years sporadically between then and the summer of 2022, met in person once and had a video call in May 2018, the court hears. 

Williams was arrested August 2022 and his phone and other devices seized. 

He had been using the Tor browser to access the dark web and download and distribute indecent images of children. 

He was handed a 12-month suspended sentence. 

One of the people he had been sending images was Edwards. 

They communicated over several platforms but police only recovered WhatsApp chats. 

Edwards was arrested on 8 November last year but police didn't recover his phone. 

The court hears their conversation was "sexual in nature" and Edwards paid Williams in the "low hundreds of pounds on an occasional basis". 

Williams directly asked for the money on several occasions, "as gifts or presents", apparently off the back of sending pornographic images to Edwards, about which images they chatted, the prosecutor says.

Edwards sent Williams a total of £1,000 to £1,500, which he said was to support him at university. 

Sitting in the dock, Huw Edwards cuts a very different figure to that of the once trusted face of BBC News At Ten, writes entertainment reporter Bethany Minelle in court.

With his days of getting hair and make-up ahead of every big appearance behind him, he looks down at his lap after giving his name and the first line of his address, then sits back and clasps his hands in front of him.

He fiddles with his fingers as a summary of his case is delivered to the court.

Edwards looks towards the judge throughout the summary, keeping his face away from the public gallery and press area towards the back of the court.

With a packed court and full gallery, interest around this case has been frenzied, with the public watching the fall from grace of a man they previously welcomed into their living rooms to tell them the news each evening.

Now, at the heart of the news story himself, much of Edwards's polish and swagger has been stripped away, and a much-diminished man sits before the court as we wait to hear his punishment.

Sentencing hearing begins

Huw Edwards has entered the dock as his sentencing hearing is about to get under way in Westminster Magistrates' Court's courtroom number one. 

The judge, chief magistrate Paul Goldspring, is already sitting on the bench.   

Edwards confirms his name, date of birth and address. 

The prosecution, represented by Ian Hope, will outline the facts of the case against him. 

His barrister Philip Evans KC will then make submissions on his behalf before the judge hands down his sentence. 

Noting that Huw Edwards arrived with a suitcase, Brunt says he does "stand a chance of going to prison" but it is unlikely.

The convicted paedophile who sent Edwards the child abuse images on WhatsApp was only given a suspended jail sentence, so Edwards is likely to walk free from court.

Brunt says the most likely sentence is a community order, which could involve unpaid work that benefits the community, a curfew, regular visits to a probation officer and almost certainly a sexual offender treatment programme and entry on to the sex offender list.

At the plea hearing in July, his defence lawyer said Edwards had been suffering from "physical and mental health issues", and the judge has indicated that he wants to know more and has asked for psychiatric reports.

We can expect the hearing to last more than an hour, Brunt says, as we get a broad outline of Edwards' crimes, mitigation from his lawyers and the judge's comments.

Two other cases to be dealt with first

The sentencing of Huw Edwards was slated to start at 10am at Westminster Magistrates' Court, but we have just learnt that two other cases will be dealt with first.

We'll bring you the latest when we get it.

What do the charges mean?

Huw Edwards has pleaded guilty to three charges of making indecent images of children. 

According to the Crown Prosecution Service, "making" an indecent image can range from opening an email attachment containing an image, to accessing pornographic websites in which indecent photographs of children appear by way of an automatic "pop-up" mechanism.

The court has previously heard Edwards didn't take or create the images himself but opened and viewed them after they were sent to him in a WhatsApp chat. 

His guilty pleas relate to a total of 41 still and moving images, ranging from the most serious category, known as category A, to the least serious, known as Category C.

They include seven category A images, 12 category B images, and 22 category C images.

The Sentencing Council defines category A images as those involving penetrative sexual activity, sexual activity with an animal, or sadism.

Category B images are those involving non-penetrative sexual activity, while category C images are indecent images that do not fall into A or B.

Huw Edwards looked pale and tired as he filed into Westminster Magistrates' Court. 

Standing only metres from him, the weight of the importance of the day for the former face of News At Ten was clear to see. 

He spoke in an upbeat tone to the court security staff, confirming he had no liquid with him or laptop, and passed through quickly.

Wearing a navy blue cardigan and white shirt, he wore no glasses and had his white hair worn in his signature style.

His team of lawyers entered court with him, and he didn't appear to have any family members present.

Honours revoked and a mural erased

BAFTA says it's reviewing seven individual awards previously handed to Huw Edwards at the BAFTA Cymru Awards, between 2002 and 2017.

Edwards has won the best on-screen presenter prize at the BAFTA Cymru awards six times.

"Like everyone in the industry and country we were shocked by the news - given the seriousness of this abhorrent crime, we are reviewing," BAFTA said.

However, the BBC will keep its BAFTA won in 2012 for Edwards' coverage of Prince William and Kate's wedding the previous year.

The state funeral of Queen Elizabeth, which featured commentary from presenters including Edwards, also won two BAFTAs for sound and directing.

York St John University and the Royal Welsh College Of Music And Drama have withdrawn awards and fellowships from the disgraced newsreader, while Cardiff University - which made him an honorary journalism professor in 2007 - says Edwards has now resigned from the position.

Edwards has also lost his position as vice-president of the National Churches Trust.

Meanwhile, a mural in the presenter's home village of Llangennech in Carmarthenshire, which was unveiled just last year, has now been removed.

Forming part of a bigger piece, the artist Steve "Jenks" Jenkins, erased him from the wall last month.

A plaque in Cardiff Castle commemorating the opening of its interpretation centre has also been taken down. The centre was opened by Edwards in 2008.

Edwards arrives at court

Huw Edwards has arrived at Westminster Magistrates' Court.

He is wearing a dark blue cardigan, white shirt and dark trousers, and entered towing a small suitcase.

His sentencing hearing is due to start at 10am.

'Protect our children': Small protest outside court

Our reporter Bethany Minelle is outside the court waiting to be let in.

A small group of demonstrators has gathered outside, some chanting "protect our children". 

The group, which is part of The Lighthouse Organisation, a life coaching organisation that has previously been accused of being a cult, has set up a campaign called David And Goliath.

Edwards asked to pay back £200,000

The BBC has asked Huw Edwards to pay back around £200,000 of his salary after the ex-presenter pleaded guilty to possessing indecent images of children.

He continued to be paid for five months after his arrest last November. He was suspended at the time but remained on the payroll.

Edwards resigned from the BBC in April.

Lisa Nandy, the culture secretary, has called his payment "wrong" and "not a good use of taxpayers money".

Edwards was one of the highest-paid BBC stars of last year, despite being off-air since July 2023.

In the year before Edwards resigned, he was paid more than £475,000 by the BBC, making him the broadcaster's third highest-paid presenter.

In a statement about the call to return his salary, the BBC said Edwards had pleaded guilty to "an appalling crime" and had "clearly undermined trust" in the corporation.

The BBC said: "Had he been upfront when asked by the BBC about his arrest, we would never have continued to pay him public money".

The BBC executive has also agreed to look again at its approach to the rules around paying employees while suspended.

-SKY NEWS