Former BBC star Huw Edwards has avoided jail as he received a suspended six-month sentence in court today (September 16).
In July, the former newsreader was charged with three counts of making indecent images of children after his arrest in November 2023.
Veteran broadcaster Edwards resigned from the BBC after 40 years in April. It came after he faced allegations of paying a teenager thousands of pounds for sexually explicit pictures.
Last year, his wife Vicky Flind said her husband had suffered “from serious mental health issues” and would receive “in-patient hospital care”.
The charges relate to his alleged activity between December 2020 and April 2022, police previously said.
Huw Edwards charged
On September 16, Edwards appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court. Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring sentenced Edwards to a six-month jail sentence suspended for two years, and ordered him to complete 25 rehabilitation sessions and 40 days of sex offender treatment.
The judge said: “Perhaps you were the most recognisable journalist or newsreader in the country. It is not an understatement to say your long-earned reputation is in tatters.”
His offences related to images shared on WhatsApp, according to police.
In court today, Edwards issued an apology for his “repugnant” offences. He said he has the “utmost regret” for “damaging his family and loved ones”.
The court heard he paid between £1,000 and £1,500 to university student and convicted paedophile Alex Williams, who sourced images on the Dark Web.
Huw Edwards in court today
Prosecutor Ian Hope said Edwards responded “yes xxx” when asked by Williams if he wanted sexual images of a person whose “age could be discerned as being between 14 and 16”.
However, Edwards did not respond after Williams sent him a sexual video of children aged around seven to nine and 11 to 13.
Hope told the court: “On February 19, 2021, Alex Williams asked ‘is the stuff I’m sending too young for you?’ The next response from Mr Edwards is dated February 22, 2021 saying ‘don’t send underage’.”
Philip Evans KC, defending, told the court: “Mr Edwards positively told Mr Williams not to send images of people who were underage.”
He added that Edwards did “not use them for any personal gratification”. He said Edwards “did not gain any gratification from those indecent images”.
People online have reacted to Edwards’ sentence. One person said on X: “6 month suspended sentence for Huw Edwards… disgusting.”
Meanwhile, another wrote: “Knew that Huw Edwards would get a suspended. Ridiculous.”
Someone else added: “Disgusting that Huw Edwards has only got 6 months suspended sentence.”
Read more: Huw Edwards resigns from the BBC on “medical advice” following scandal as statement issued
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