Key moments from court as Huw Edwards avoids jail over child abuse images

Here is a recap of the key points from the sentencing of Huw Edwards today:

• Edwards, 63, has avoided prison after admitting three charges of making indecent images of children.

• The former BBC News presenter was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for two years.

• He will be placed on the sex offenders register for seven years and must undergo a rehabilitation course.

• His offences were discovered when police found his messages on the phone of convicted paedophile Alex Williams.

• Of the 377 images found in Edwards's possession, 41 were indecent images of childrenn, with one of a child between the ages of seven and nine, and most of 13 to 15-year-olds.

• The court heard that Edwards told Williams “go on” when asked if he wanted “naughty pics and vids” of somebody described as “yng (sic)”.

• Chief magistrate, district judge Paul Goldspring, told Edwards that reputational and financial damage was the “natural consequence of your behaviour which you brought upon yourself”.

• Edwards paid Williams hundreds of pounds after he sent him the images, but the judge accepted these were made as a "thank you" and not for purchasing the images. The court heard Williams asked Edwards for a “Christmas gift after all the hot videos”.

• The BBC said Edwards had “betrayed not just the BBC, but audiences who put their trust in him” – adding that the corporation was “appalled by his crimes”.

Huw Edwards used his barrister, Philip Evans KC, to apologise in court for his offences.

Evans said: “The press has been extraordinary to the extent that this matter has been reported and Mr Edwards through me wishes to apologise to the court.

“He wishes the court, through me, to know how profoundly sorry he is. He recognises the repugnant nature of such indecent images and the hurt that is done to those who appear in such images.

“For his part in that, he apologises sincerely and he makes it clear that he has the utmost regret and he recognises that he has betrayed the priceless trust and faith of so many people.

“He knows he has hurt and he has damaged his family and his loved ones around him and for all of these things he is truly sorry and he is truly sorry that he has committed these offences.”

A criminal barrister has said that recent prison overcrowding would have been "a factor" in the sentencing of Huw Edwards.

Maria Karaiskos KC, from Church Court Chambers, said: “Whilst protecting the public is of course one of the paramount sentencing considerations, as well as the appropriate punishment of the offender, the court must also look at whether there are realistic prospects of rehabilitation. A sentence of imprisonment is only imposed where there is no other option.

"The court will have considered whether Edwards has a history of similar or repeat offending and whether he poses a risk of similar behaviour in the future.

"Balanced with this are mitigating factors such as remorse, lack of previous convictions, and Edwards’s evident mental health struggles.

"Prison overcrowding is also a factor the court must now take into account, given recent concerns over capacity.

“It is important to note that a guilty plea at the first hearing results in a one third reduction in any sentence imposed.”

Huw Edwards has been sentenced to six months imprisonment suspended for two years.

It means he avoids serving time in prison - his sentence will instead be served in the community.

In a suspended prison sentence, offenders may need to meet certain conditions, according to the government.

Offenders may need to stay away from a certain place, for example, or carry out unpaid work, undertake a treatment programme or be subject to a curfew.

If an offender breaks the conditions of a suspended sentence they may be sent to prison.

The Ministry of Justice said that in 2022, about 42,000 offenders were given a suspended sentence, 4% of those offenders sentenced.

A court artist's drawing showed Huw Edwards with his hands clasped together as he listened to what was being said during his sentencing hearing.

In another drawing, Edwards is pictured listening to chief magistrate Paul Goldspring making his remarks before sentencing.

Edwards was sentenced to six months in prison suspended for two years.

His sonorous Welsh accent and command of detail brought gravitas to the News at Ten. When the BBC needed an anchor for general elections, royal weddings, funerals, the Coronation of Charles III and Camilla, anything important, really, it was to Edwards they turned.

On 8 September 2022, it was Huw Edwards who announced the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Even when delivering unhappy news, Edwards could be trusted to convey warmth, sympathy and intelligence.

So, it was all the more shocking when Edwards was charged with some of the most serious and grim crimes that exist.

Read more on this story from The Telegraph here.

The Internet Watch Foundation, which attempts to halt the spread of online child sexual abuse imagery, said there are "thousands" of people committing similar offences to Edwards's.

Its interim chief executive Derek Ray-Hill said: "There are thousands of people committing offences like Edwards's, and there is currently nothing to prevent this. Those exact images, as it stands, could still be in circulation on WhatsApp, sent again and again undetected.

"As the regulator, Ofcom needs to utilise the full strength of the Online Safety Act and compel companies to use their best endeavours to prevent images from circulating in end-to-end encrypted environments."

In a statement, the NSPCC said offenders such as Huw Edwards fuel online child sexual abuse.

Rani Govender, the charity's child safety online policy manager, said: "Online child sexual abuse is at record levels and offenders like Edwards who fuel this crime should be in no doubt about its severity and the impact it has on victims.

"Companies must also act by putting technology in place that can identify and disrupt child abuse images being shared on their messaging services so victims can be safeguarded and offenders prosecuted."

Huw Edwards was one of the most recognisable faces on TV before his glittering career came to an end amid a scandal that ended with him receiving a suspended prison sentence.

The 63-year-old was the BBC’s highest-paid newsreader and presented the News At Ten for decades before he pleaded guilty to making indecent images of children in late July.

Edwards was regarded as the best-known face of BBC News and was seen as a safe pair of hands to guide the country through major events including the late Queen’s death, which he announced to the nation in September 2022.

Edwards was spared jail and the judge at Westminster Magistrates’ Court said it would not be “an exaggeration” to say his “long-earned reputation is in tatters.”

Read more on this story from PA Media here.

Here are some more photos of Huw Edwards leaving Westminster Magistrates' Court.

He was sentenced to six months in prison suspended for two years.

Huw Edwards has left court after being sentenced.

He walked straight past photographers and journalists and into a waiting car, pulling a small suitcase, alongside his legal team.

He did not make any comment.

In a statement following the sentencing, the BBC said it is "appalled" by Huw Edwards's crimes.

The corporation, which is still trying to recover £200,000 in salary paid to Edwards between his arrest and resignation, said: "We are appalled by his crimes. He has betrayed not just the BBC, but audiences who put their trust in him.”

The Barnardo's children's charity has released a statement after Edwards was sentenced.

Its chief executive, Lynn Perry said: "Huw Edwards was a trusted public figure at the heart of the national media for decades.

"In the midst of this case, we mustn't lose sight of the fact that at the heart of this are children as young as seven who are victims of horrific sexual abuse.

"Tens of thousands of children are sexually exploited or groomed online every year. We urge tech companies to take action to make sure abuse material can't be shared on their platforms.

"When children are abused, and images of this are shared online, they must receive urgent, specialist support - something that is sadly unavailable to many children nationwide. We're also calling on the government to ensure that no child is left without specialist support after being sexually abused and exploited."

The chief magistrate, district judge Paul Goldspring, went through the mitigating factors he was taking into account in sentencing Edwards.

He said he believed the former broadcaster’s remorse was genuine and that his mental health at the time of the offences could have impaired his decision-making.

But the judge added that the financial and reputational damage Edwards suffered was “the natural consequence of your behaviour which you brought upon yourself”.

He said: “I am of the clear view that you do not present a risk or danger to the public at large, specifically to children.

“There is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.”

The judge declined to make a sexual harm prevention order against Edwards.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has released a statement following Edwards's sentencing.

It said: “Accessing indecent images of children perpetuates the sexual exploitation of them, which has deep, long-lasting trauma for these victims.

“The CPS and Metropolitan Police were able to prove that Edwards was receiving illegal images and videos involving children via WhatsApp.

“This prosecution sends a clear message that the CPS, working alongside the police, will work to bring to justice those who seek to exploit children, wherever that abuse takes place.”

A police mugshot of Huw Edwards was released as he was sentenced.

It was taken after his arrest in November and was released by the Metropolitan Police.

Former BBC presenter Huw Edwards has been sentenced at Westminster Magistrates’ Court to six months’ imprisonment suspended for two years after admitting accessing indecent images of children.

Chief magistrate Paul Goldspring said Edwards's crimes are "extremely serious offences" but that Edwards does not present a risk or danger to children.

The sentence includes a sex offender treatment programme and 25 rehabilitation sessions.

He will be put on the sex offenders register for seven years.

Goldspring said that payments made by Edwards to Williams after being sent the images were made as a "thank you" and not a purchase in the traditional sense.

The court heard that Edwards sent hundreds of pounds to Williams after receiving the images and videos, totalling as much as £1,500.

Goldspring said he has accepted that Huw Edwards did not recall viewing the images he was sent by paedophile Alex Williams, because of his mental disorder at the time of the offences.

The judge 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.”

Goldspring said a psychosexual therapist who examined Edwards said he had been in a “perfect storm” at the time of the offences.

The therapist had told the court Edwards had a risk of taking his own life and was a "complex individual" because of psychological factors in his childhood, including a relationship with a "puritanical" father.

The expert said Edwards has shown "insight, shame and remorse".

Beginning his sentencing remarks, chief magistrate Paul Goldspring tells Edwards his "reputation is now in tatters".

He told Edwards he had a "very successful career in the media" and was perhaps the "most recognised newsreader or journalist" in the country.

Goldspring told Edwards: “Perhaps it does not need saying but you are of previous good character.

“It is not an exaggeration to say your long-earned reputation is in tatters,” the judge said.

Chief magistrate Paul Goldspring has returned to Court One at Westminster Magistrates' Court for the sentencing of former BBC presenter Huw Edwards.

The defence for Edwards has finished and the chief magistrate Paul Goldspring has said he will now prepare his sentencing remarks.

The case will resume at 12.30pm, he said, when Edwards will be sentenced.

If he is sentenced to prison, it will not be for longer than 12 months, the limit in place for cases heard in magistrates' court.

The chief magistrate has already said the case will not be moved to a higher crown court.

Huw Edwards was “vulnerable” when Alex Williams first messaged him, the court heard.

Philip Evans KC said: “Alex Williams sought him out and he sought him out on Instagram at a time when Mr Edwards can properly be described as having been vulnerable.

“Independent experts have assessed him as being mentally vulnerable at that time.

“You have witnessed the manner in which he has fallen from grace as a consequence of this offending."

Edwards is at a "low risk of reoffending", his barrister said.

Philip Evans KC said a psychosexual therapist spent more than 21 hours interviewing Edwards between December 2023 and June 2024, and found he presented a "low risk of reoffending".

Evans said there had been an "obvious and unfortunate storm" in Edwards's life in 2020 and 2021 and that a "great deal of water has gone under the bridge since then".

He challenged whether Edwards needs to be subjected to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Edwards “recognises that he has betrayed the priceless trust and faith of so many people”, the court heard.

Evans said his client is a man of previous good character, continuing: “He has lost that good character. He has lost that good character in a very public way. That is, we respectfully submit, a matter of some significance and we know that the court will not underestimate the effect that that will have had on him.

"The press has been extraordinary to the extent that this matter has been reported and Mr Edwards through me wishes to apologise to the court. He wishes the court, through me, to know how profoundly sorry he is. He recognises the repugnant nature of such indecent images and the hurt that is done to those who appear in such images.

“For his part in that he apologises sincerely and he makes it clear that he has the utmost regret and he recognises that he has betrayed the priceless trust and faith of so many people.

“He knows he has hurt and he has damaged his family and his loved ones around him and for all of these things he is truly sorry and he is truly sorry that he has committed these offences.”

Defence barrister Philip Evans KC said Edwards was “truly sorry” for how he has “damaged his family and his loved ones”, and for committing the offences.

He told the court: “He knows he has hurt and he has damaged his family and his loved ones around him.

“For all of this, he is truly sorry and he is truly sorry he has committed these offences.”

Evans said: “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."

Evans said the offending was linked to the “grave situation” of Edwards's mental health.

The prosecution has finished its summary, and now it is the turn of Philip Evans KC, defending Edwards.

Evans said Edwards did not make payments to Alex Williams in order to receive indecent images of children.

Evans told the court: “Mr Edwards did not make payments in order for images to be sent to him, and he certainly did not make payments in order that indecent images would be sent to him.

“Mr Edwards positively told Mr Williams not to send images of people who were underage.”

He also said Edwards “did not gain any gratification” from indecent images.

Evans told the court: “He did not store any of those images on any device.

“He did not use them for any personal gratification and he did not gain any gratification from those indecent images.

“He did not send them to anyone else onwardly and he has never sought similar images before from any source, and he has not sought similar images from any other source since.”

He also said Edwards has "no memory of viewing any particular images".

The Probation Service says Edwards's risk of serious harm to children is categorised as "medium", the court heard.

It said his risk of internet offending, meaning indirect sexual offending, is also medium.

Edwards told a probation officer his offending arose out of his fixation on online communications of a sexual nature, his poor mental health, his alcohol use and the deterioration of his personal relationship.

Huw Edwards told a convicted paedophile “go on” when he was asked if he wanted “naughty pics and vids” of somebody described as “yng (sic)”.

Prosecutor Ian Hope told the court: “In a later exchange on 11 August 2021, Alex Williams says he has some ‘naughty pics and vids unsure if you’d like’. Mr Edwards tells him to ‘go on’ and Alex Williams states ‘yng (sic)’.

“Mr Edwards again tells him to ‘go on’ and Alex Williams sends a category A moving image showing a male child aged around 7 to 9…”

“Mr Edwards enquires where the video is from and Alex Williams says an image-sharing group on another social media platform which they have both also used, Telegram.

“Alex Williams says the subject is ‘quite yng looking’ to which Mr Edwards responds it ‘can be deceptive’ and asks if he has ‘any more?’

“Alex Williams says he has but he is not sure if Mr Edwards would like them as they are illegal.

“Mr Edwards says ‘Ah OK don’t’ and the exchange immediately following concerns a series of images which Alex Williams describes as ‘looks young don’t he but he’s deffo 19.’"

The court heard Edwards did not respond after Williams sent him a sexual video of children aged around seven to nine and 11 to 13.

Prosecutor Ian Hope said: “On 10 February 2021, a category A video was sent which is notable because the age of one of the children involved was significantly younger than in the rest of the images sent – it showed several acts of penetration between two children aged around seven to nine and 11 to 13 respectively.

“There was no direct response from Mr Edwards to this video, beyond it being marked as ‘read’.

“A week later… a number of attachments were sent which included two category B videos and four category C still images comprising indecent images of children.

"On 19 February 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’.”

The court heard that after the 22 February reply where Edwards replied: “Don’t send underage”, a “handful” of further indecent images of children were sent.

The prosecutor said one of these was a category A video sent on 10 June 2021 which was marked “read” on WhatsApp, in which the children involved were around 13 to 15 years old.

Alex Williams asked for a “Christmas gift after all the hot videos” from Huw Edwards, the court heard.

Prosecutor Ian Hope said the convicted paedophile offered to send 12 videos in December 2020 and the then-BBC presenter responded that he could not see the latest batch but “the others were amazing”.

The court heard a new link contained a category C image of a child aged around 12 to 14 and a category A image.

“Three-quarters of an hour later, Alex Williams again asks for ‘a Christmas gift after all the hot videos’ and Edwards immediately responds ‘what do you need?’,” the prosecutor continued.

“Alex Williams says he wants some Air Force 1 trainers that cost around £100, and Mr Edwards offers to send him £200.”

Edwards described images he had been sent by Williams as "amazing", the court heard.

When Williams offered to send him 12 videos, Edwards said the previous images he had received had been "amazing", the prosecution said.

Edwards offered to send Williams £200 to buy expensive trainers in return for more images, the court was told.

Edwards wrote “yes xxx” when he was asked by a convicted paedophile if he wanted sexual images of a person whose “age could be discerned as being between 14 and 16”.

Prosecutor Ian Hope said: “From that chat in December 2020, Alex Williams said that he had ‘a file of vids and pics for you of someone special’.

“Mr Edwards immediately queried who the subject was and was then sent three images of seemingly the same person, from two of which images the subject’s age could be discerned as being between 14 and 16."

Hope said Williams later asked Edwards if he wanted "the full file" of other pictures and videos and that Edwards replied: ‘Yes xxx…’

Williams then sent Edwards "around 30 attachments, about half of which were category C indecent images of children", Hope said.

Opening the case against Edwards, prosecutor Ian Hope said the former BBC presenter sent hundreds of pounds to convicted paedophile Alex Williams, "apparently off the back of (him) sending pornographic images to Mr Edwards”.

Hope said: “It is clear from the face of the WhatsApp chat recovered that a deal of the chat between Alex Williams and Mr Edwards was sexual in nature.

“It is also clear that Mr Edwards was paying not insignificant sums of money – low hundreds of pounds on an occasional basis – to Alex Williams, which Mr Williams directly asked for on several occasions, as gifts or presents, apparently off the back of sending pornographic images to Mr Edwards, about which images they chatted.

“Alex Williams has stated that the money was more generally to support him at university and amounted to around £1,000 to £1,500.”

After he pleaded guilty, Edwards became the first person to be stripped of a top Welsh honour.

He was expelled from the Gorsedd of the Bards, which is one of the highest accolades in Welsh public life.

The former BBC broadcaster had the honour removed following a unanimous vote at an Eisteddfod Court meeting in August.

Read more on this story from The Telegraph here.

The sentencing hearing for Huw Edwards is underway.

The former BBC presenter has entered the dock and chief magistrate Paul Goldspring is sitting on the bench.

Edwards has confirmed his name, date of birth and address, Sky News reported.

The hearing is expected to last about an hour.

There was shock and anger behind the scenes at the BBC as the Huw Edwards scandal unfolded, a journalist has revealed.

BBC culture and media editor Katie Razzall wrote that Edwards went from "being king of the BBC newsroom" to a "convicted sex offender".

She said his guilty plea had "rocked people in the newsroom to their core".

Read more on this story from the BBC here.

The BBC has asked Edwards to return his salary from the period after his arrest to his resignation, but an employment lawyer said the corporation may not get it back if he refuses.

Sarah Chilton, an employment lawyer and senior partner at the firm CM Murray LLP, explained that “normally the only way employers would recover salary from an employee would be if it’s been an overpayment, rather than just a payment of what they were contractually owed”.

She said: “Even then, there are certain circumstances in which, if you’re overpaid and your employer doesn’t have a contractual right to take money back from you, then they might have to rely on you giving it back voluntarily, or they might have to sue you for it.”

Sky News are reporting that two other cases will be heard before that of Huw Edwards.

His case is being heard at Court One of Westminster Magistrates' Court before chief magistrate Paul Goldspring, the BBC said.

It had been due to commence at 10am but there will be a wait while the other two cases are heard first.

There is "nothing stopping" child sexual abuse images from spreading on WhatsApp, a child safety organisation has warned.

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), which helps detect and remove child abuse content from the web, has accused WhatsApp's owner Meta of failing to have the mechanisms in place to stop the spread of such material, including the type of content that was sent to former BBC broadcaster Huw Edwards.

He admitted having indecent images of children, which were shared with him on WhatsApp, the end-to-end encrypted messaging platform. No one outside a conversation can see or access encrypted messages, including the service provider itself.

Read more on this story from Sky News here.

In an appearance before a parliamentary committee last week, BBC chairman Samir Shah admitted that Edwards “damaged” the reputation of the corporation.

Shah was questioned before the House of Lords’ Communications and Digital Committee on their future strategy, as well as the broadcaster’s funding model amid a decline in licence fee payers.

Shah told the committee: “There’s nothing more important than public trust in the BBC, and we are custodians of that trust and what Huw Edwards did damaged the reputation and the trust for the BBC so we take that very seriously indeed."

Read more on this story from PA Media here.

Here is the latest video of Huw Edwards entering court on Monday ahead of his sentencing hearing.

Edwards faced a barrage of questions from the media as he made his way into Westminster Magistrates' Court but he remained silent.

Wearing a blue cardigan and without the dark sunglasses that he wore during his previous court appearance in July, Edwards went into the court flanked by his legal team.

He stepped out of a taxi and was carrying a small suitcase and did not answer questions from journalists.

Huw Edwards has just arrived at Westminster Magistrates' Court ahead of his sentencing hearing.

Edwards walked straight past a wall of photographers on his way into the building.

The hearing is expected to begin at 10am, and could see him sentenced or his case referred to crown court.