Huw Edwards’ given six-months suspended jail sentence for indecent images of children

Huw Edwards has arrived at Westminster Magistrates’ Court to be sentenced for accessing indecent images of children. He has pleaded guilty to the crime. 

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The former BBC newsreader has pleaded guilty to 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." 

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Speaking in court back in July, Huw's barrister Philip Evans KC said: "It is obvious to the court, I’m sure, that Mr Edwards was not just of good character, but of exceptional character… There’s no suggestion in this case that Mr Edwards has… in the traditional sense of the word, created any image of any sort. It is important also to remember for context that devices, Mr Edwards’ devices, have been seized, have been searched, and there’s nothing in those devices.

"It is only the images that are the subject of the charges that came via a WhatsApp chat. Mr Edwards did not keep any images, did not send any to anyone else and did not and has not sought similar images from anywhere else." 

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The court was previously told that the offended has a starting point of 12 months in prison, with his barrister claiming that there were mitigating factors and asking for a suspended sentence. 

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According to the CPS, 'making indecent images of children' can include openings, accessing, downloading or storing content, or receiving an image via social media even if unsolicited or part of a group. 

The police began investigating Edwards after seizing a phone in an unrelated investigation after a man named Alex Williams, who was sentenced to a suspended 12-month jail sentence back in March - had images of children with Edwards. 

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According to the BBC, Huw’s case is one of two listed in Court One, and the TV personality's will be second on the agenda, meaning that we will have a while to wait before sentencing.

Edwards paid Williams for the images, which Williams used to support himself at university. There were 377 images in total, with 41 being indecent images of children. 

The suitcase could mean that Edwards is under the impression that he will be facing prison time for the charges. 

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The mitigating factors to reduce Edwards' sentence, which has a maximum term of 10 years, includes that the former newsreader's decision-making may have been impaired by a mental disorder, remorse and no previous convictions. The aggravating factor is that the images were moving images. 

According to reports from inside the court, Williams had asked Edwards at the time if he was sending images that are too young, to which Edwards replied: "Don’t send anything underage." He received several underage images, including one clearly marked with the age in the file. 

The prosecutor Ian Hope confirmed that Huw had been messaging Alex Williams since 2018, with the pair ending their communication in 2022. The pair met once and spoke on the phone once, with the majority of their interactions taking place online. The pair had communicated over different platform, with the only recovered chat the one from Williams' phone. 

The chief magistrate has indicated that he will keep the case, meaning that Edwards will not be given a term of more than one year as magistrates have limited sentencing powers. 

Philip Evans KC read an apology on behalf of Edwards, saying: "Mr Edwards wishes to apologise. He wishes the court to know how profoundly sorry he is. He recognises the repugnant nature of such images and the hurt that is done to those who appear in such images. For his part in that, he apologies sincerely and he makes it clear that he has the utmost regret.

"He recognises he has betrayed the priceless trust and faith of so many people. He knows that he has hurt and damaged his family and his loved ones around him. He is truly sorry and he is truly sorry that he has committed these offences. It is meaningful, his remorse, and he has demonstrated real recognition of the harm such images cause." 

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The Chief Magistrate is set to draft his sentencing remarks, with court resuming at around 12:30pm. 

MORE: Huw Edwards: who are the newsreader's wife and children?

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The Chief magistrate Paul Goldspring has begun sentencing and it outlying the facts of the case. Speaking about the images, he said: "You did not keep them and you did not send them on to anyone else. I accept that you had issues with your mental health. The degree that you received sexual gratification from the images is difficult to assess." 

He added that he accepts that Edwards was struggling with mental health at the time and that he has no memory of receiving the images that he has been charged for. 

Huw Edwards has been given a six-month jail suspended sentence for two years with a requirement to complete a sex offender programme.

The magistrate has confirmed that Edwards isn't a risk to the public or children. He will be required to complete a sex offender programme and 25 further rehabilitative sessons. He will also be on the sex offenders register for seven years.