The BBC had known about Huw Edwards’ arrest over serious indecent images of children since November, according to the corporation’s director general. In November 2023, Edwards was arrested while suspended from the BBC following allegations published in The Sun about a presenter paying a teenager for explicit photos. Edwards, aged 62, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children and resigned from the BBC in April on medical advice.
Huw Edwards leaving court after pleading GUILTY for MAKING Indecent Child Images
The BBC now admits they knew 9mths ago of his arrest for a SERIOUS crime
This country is due to implode
We’re a nation run by elite scum & corrupt officials that blatantly support & fund Paedophile pic.twitter.com/6V6hN0Pcld— LX (@LXlC0) July 31, 2024
Tim Davie, the BBC’s director general, explained why the corporation didn’t dismiss Edwards after learning about his arrest. In an interview with BBC News, Davie said the police requested confidentiality to conduct their work without interference. He emphasised that the decision was carefully considered, not made impulsively. Davie noted that arrests sometimes don’t result in charges, and specific details of Edwards’ potential offences were unknown at the time.
Davie also mentioned that since Edwards was suspended, there were no safety issues for BBC employees. He highlighted the importance of allowing the police to complete their investigation before taking action. The BBC stated that Edwards would have been immediately sacked if charged before his resignation.
Davie asserted that the BBC was not withholding any crucial information from the police. He assured that no evidence related to Edwards’ offences was in the BBC’s possession. Davie spoke as Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy prepared for an urgent meeting with him following Edwards’ conviction.
Edwards had received a salary between £475,000 and £479,999 for the year 2023/24 before resigning. Davie hinted that the BBC might pursue legal action to recover some payments made to Edwards. However, reclaiming Edwards’ pension would be nearly impossible, Davie noted.
Edwards was arrested after police seized the phone of Alex Williams, a paedophile, during an unrelated investigation. Williams had sent Edwards 41 indecent images via WhatsApp between December 2020 and August 2021. These included seven category A images, 12 category B, and 22 category C. Most children in the category A images were aged 13 to 15, with some as young as seven and nine. Williams was convicted of seven offences related to indecent images and received a suspended 12-month jail sentence.
The Crown Prosecution Service defines “making” images as opening, accessing, downloading, storing, or receiving them via social media, even if unsolicited. Category A images involve the most serious offences, including penetrative sexual activity and sadism. Category B images feature non-penetrative sexual activity, while category C images do not depict sexual activity. Sentencing guidelines suggest a starting point of 12 months for possession of a category A image, 26 weeks for category B, and a community order for category C. Prosecutor Ian Hope indicated that a suspended sentence might be considered for Edwards.
