It has been confirmed that former newsreader Huw Edwards has been charged with three counts of making indecent images of children.
A spokesperson from the Metropolitan police confirmed the news, saying: "Huw Edwards, 62, of Southwark, London has been charged with three counts of making indecent images of children following a Met Police investigation.
"The offences, which are alleged to have taken place between December 2020 and April 2022, relate to images shared on a WhatsApp chat. Edwards was arrested on November 8 2023. He was charged on Wednesday, June 26 following authorisation from the Crown Prosecution Service. He has been bailed to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, July 31.
"Media and the public are strongly reminded that this is an active case. Nothing should be published, including on social media, which could prejudice future court proceedings."
The 62-year-old resigned from the BBC back in April after he was accused of paying a teenager for sexually explicit pictures. The news comes shortly after it was revealed that Huw remained one of the highest paid earners at the BBC in the 2023-24 financial year, having been paid between £475,000 and £479,999.
It was first reported in The Sun that Huw had been paying a teenager for photos, with the lawyer of the "young person" denying the claims, telling The Guardian: "For the avoidance of doubt, nothing inappropriate or unlawful has taken place between our client and the BBC personality and the allegations reported in the Sun newspaper are rubbish."
At the time, a spokesperson for The Sun said: "We have reported a story about two very concerned parents who made a complaint to the BBC about the behaviour of a presenter and the welfare of their child. Their complaint was not acted upon by the BBC. We have seen evidence that supports their concerns. It’s now for the BBC to properly investigate."
In a statement to the press following the initial report, which led to Huw resigning under medical advice, his wife Vicky Flind said: "In light of the recent reporting regarding the ‘BBC presenter’ I am making this statement on behalf of my husband Huw Edwards, after what have been five extremely difficult days for our family. I am doing this primarily out of concern for his mental well-being and to protect our children.
"Huw is suffering from serious mental health issues. As is well documented, he has been treated for severe depression in recent years. The events of the last few days have greatly worsened matters, he has suffered another serious episode and is now receiving in-patient hospital care where he’ll stay for the foreseeable future."