Huw Edwards arrives at court to be sentenced for indecent images offences
Posted: 08:26 AM, September 16, 2024
| Revised: 09:52, September 16, 2024
Former BBC host Huw Edwards has shown up at court in preparation for his sentencing hearing related to the possession of inappropriate images of children as young as seven.
He had earlier pleaded guilty to three charges related to the creation of inappropriate photographs after receiving 41 unlawful images via WhatsApp from convicted child offender Alex Williams.
Edwards was seen dragging a suitcase behind him as he arrived at Westminster Magistrates' Court, dressed in a blue cardigan and accompanied by his lawyers.
When he walked into the courthouse, the seasoned broadcaster gave a serious glare to the photographers gathered near the entrance.
Out of the indecent images that Williams sent to Edwards, seven were classified as the most severe.
In the collection of images, it is believed that the majority of the children were around 13 to 15 years old, while one child was estimated to be between seven and nine years old.
If the district judge feels they lack the proper authority to impose a sentence on the broadcaster, Edwards' case may be referred to the crown court for sentencing on Monday.
Williams faced charges due to his WhatsApp conversation with Edwards and was found guilty of seven offenses after an investigation by South Wales Police. He received a 12-month suspended sentence.
In August 2021, the last inappropriate image was shared—this one was a category A film showcasing a young boy. Convicted pedophile Williams remarked to the newsreader that the child appeared "very young" and mentioned he had additional illegal images.
In general, the fees apply to a timeframe from December 2020 to August 2021.
After he pleaded guilty, the BBC acknowledged that it had been notified about the former TV host's arrest in November. However, they continued to keep him on staff for nearly five months until he departed due to medical reasons.
It has requested that Edwards return the £200,000 in salary he has earned since his arrest.
Tim Davie, the director-general of the BBC, stated that the funds should be reimbursed and mentioned that the organization will consider legal action if Edwards does not comply.
The pertinent images in Edwards' case vary from the most severe type, referred to as category A, to the least severe, labeled as category C.
The collection features seven images classified as category A, twelve classified as category B, and twenty-two classified as category C.
The Sentencing Council, which is supported by the Ministry of Justice, categorizes type A images as those that depict penetrative sexual acts, sexual acts involving animals, or acts of sadism.
Category B images refer to those depicting sexual activities that do not involve penetration, whereas category C images consist of indecent visuals that are not classified under either A or B.
