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Disgraced BBC presenter Huw Edwards is still allowed to text the paedophile who sent him dozens of child sex photos.
The shamed star got a suspended prison sentence for his crimes but was not hit with restrictions on texting.
The decision not to impose a Sexual Harm Prevention Order means he will be able to do what he wants with his mobile phone and internet use.
It means he could still be in contact with fellow Welshman Alex Williams, 25, who is the convicted paedophile who sent him the slew of disgusting child sex images.
The 63-year-old can also travel abroad, provided he gives police seven days’ notice.
Disgraced BBC presenter Huw Edwards is still allowed to text the paedophile pal who sent him hundreds of child sex photos
It means he could still be in contact with fellow Welshman Alex Williams, 25, who is the convicted paedophile who sent him the slew of disgusting child sex images. Williams is pictured here as a teenager on a family trip to a Welsh beauty spot
Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard this month how Huw Edwards had replied ‘yes xxx’ when asked if he wanted a set of indecent images of children (note: This is not the actual text message exchange)
It was also told that Edwards had told Williams that ages ‘can be deceptive’ when told one of the subjects in an image was ‘quite yng looking’, before asking if he had ‘any more? (note: This is not the actual text message exchange)
Edwards was previously anchor of News at Ten and one of Britain’s most prominent newsreaders
And there are no limitations on where he can go in the UK, meaning he can even visit areas where children frequent such as playgrounds.
He previously admitted three charges of ‘making’ indecent photographs after he was sent 41 illegal images by Williams over WhatsApp.
Of the images he received, the estimated age of most of the children was between 13 and 15, but one was aged between seven and nine.
What does ‘making’ indecent images mean?
Huw Edwards pleaded guilty to three counts of ‘making’ indecent images of children in July.
The Crown Prosecution Service says it can include:
- opening an email attachment containing an image
- downloading an image from a website to a screen
- storing an image on a computer
- accessing a pornographic website in which an image appears in an automatic ‘pop-up’ window
- receiving an image via social media, even if unsolicited and even if part of a group
- or live-streaming images of children
A court must also decide whether an offence calls into the category of possession, distribution or production.
At Edwards’s sentencing hearing earlier this month, it was revealed what was said between the pair on the messaging app between December 2020 and August 2021.
The court also heard that the presenter had told Williams via message that ages ‘can be deceptive’ when informed that one of the subjects in an image was ‘quite yng looking’, before asking if he had ‘any more?’.
Westminster Magistrates Court heard how Edwards had replied ‘yes xxx’ when asked by Williams if he wanted a set of indecent images of children.
He also messaged saying ‘go on’ when asked if he wanted ‘naughty pics and vids’ of somebody described as ‘yng (sic)’.
Former Scotland Yard detective Peter Bleksley hit out at the lack of restrictions, telling the Sun: ‘This demonstrates the shameful, pathetic, appalling sentences that paedophiles are receiving today.
‘It’s offensive to all right-minded people who believe children are to be protected.
‘For him to walk out with the hint of a smirk on his face, virtually as free as you or I, is galling.’
Sources said Edwards is being treated at the £5,000-a-week Nightingale Hospital, a mental health facility in central London.
The judge also ordered him to complete a sex offender treatment programme and 25 rehabilitation sessions.
The sessions will involve confessing his depraved crimes and how they affected both him and his victims in front of a group of fellow paedophiles.
In court Edwards’s lawyer said he was ‘truly sorry’ for how he has ‘damaged his family and his loved ones’, and for committing the offences.
Full timeline of Huw Edwards’s downfall
March 2023
Edwards announcing the news of Her Majesty’s death to the nation in September 2022
Huw Edwards signs new three-year deal with the BBC after praise for the way he led coverage of the Queen’s death.
It came after he was seen at the offices of the BBC’s biggest radio rival – Global – in August 2022. The News at Ten veteran admitted at the time he was ‘thinking about my future’.
In June that year he would pick up the best live event honour at the Tric Awards for being among those to cover the state funeral of the late Queen, and in February he received the Broadcast Awards’ special recognition award.
April 2023
Police were contacted but ‘no criminality was identified’.
May 6, 2023
Edwards hosts coverage of King Charles’s coronation as he lead the BBC broadcast of the historic event.
May 18, 2023
A family member of the young person, who was 17 at the time, made an in-person complaint about the behaviour of a BBC presenter.
May 19, 2023
A complainant contacted the BBC in a 29-minute call to the BBC’s audience services team, and the details were referred to the Corporate Investigations Team.
The family member reportedly asked the broadcaster to stop sending their family member cash.
The Corporate Investigations Team decided the complaint didn’t include an allegation of criminality, but merited more investigation.
The investigators email the complainant to get more information but they get no response.
June 6, 2023
After getting no reply to the email, the Corporate Investigations Team tries to call the complainant but the call does not connect.
However, the Sun reported later that the family said no one from the corporation phoned them for a proper interview after they complained.
The BBC said no more attempts to contact the family were made after this date, but that the case ‘remained open’.
July 5, 2023
Edwards is seen on screen for what would be the last time before the scandal became public, when he covered King Charles’s visit to Scotland
Huw Edwards is seen for the last time on the BBC as he covered King Charles’s visit to Scotland.
July 6, 2023
The Sun informs BBC Press Office about allegations against the star presenter.
The BBC launches an ‘incident management group’ of top executives after becoming aware of new allegations ‘of a different nature’ against the presenter.
It is the first time Mr Davie or any executive directors were made aware of the case, according to the BBC.
A senior manager holds the first conversation with the presenter concerned.
It is agreed he should not appear on air while the allegations are investigated.
July 7, 2023
The Sun published its exclusive which alleged that a BBC presenter, unnamed at the time, paid a total of £35,000 for sexual content to someone beginning when they were 17.
But a lawyer acting on behalf of the young person told The Sun that evening there was ‘no truth’ to the claims.
The BBC said it would investigate and it made contact with the Metropolitan Police.
July 8, 2023
The complainant sends the BBC ‘materials related to the complaint’.
There is a frenzy of speculation about the identity of the star. Gary Lineker, Jeremy Vine, Rylan Clark and Nicky Campbell all feel obliged to deny that they were the man in question.
July 9, 2023
A mocked up version of a reported Instagram message exchange between Edwards and a teenager
The BBC confirms that a male presenter has been suspended from all duties.
The Sun reports that the presenter allegedly made two phone calls to the young person and pleaded with them to call their mother to stop the investigation.
July 10, 2023
BBC representatives and Metropolitan Police detectives meet in the morning to discover if any crimes have been committed.
The young person claims through a lawyer that the allegations are ‘rubbish’.
In response, the Sun said it had ‘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’.
The parents stood by their account to the Sun and the stepfather was quoted in a story saying the allegations were originally put the the BBC ‘for an hour’.
July 11, 2023
Director-general Tim Davie sends an internal email to staff reiterating that the BBC is taking the allegations ‘incredibly seriously’
Director-general of the BBC Tim Davie defends the delay in speaking to the BBC presenter.
But the BBC admits there were ‘lessons to be learned’ prompting a boss to assess the protocols.
In the afternoon, new claims emerged from the BBC that the presenter sent threatening messages to a second young person.
It is claimed they met on a dating app, before the conversation moved to other platforms where the presenter revealed his identity.
He then allegedly sent a number of ‘threatening messages’ to the youngster, which the BBC has seen.
The Sun reported the star is also accused of breaking lockdown rules to meet a 23-year-old stranger from a dating site.
July 12, 2023
Huw Edwards pictured with his wife Vicky Find in South London in 2018. She has since separated from the former broadcaster in the wake of his recent scandals
Huw Edwards is revealed as the BBC presented by his wife Vicky Flind.
She said he was ‘suffering from serious mental health issues’.
The bombshell revelation came just moments after the police said they were ‘taking no further action’ in the case.
But BBC boss Mr Davie sent an email to staff informing them that an internal investigation would continue even though police were no longer involved.
The BBC reported fresh allegations from two current junior members of staff and one former member of staff who claim they were sent messages that made them uncomfortable.
July 12, 2023
Mr Davie asked for a second review of the BBC’s complaints protocols after it was revealed the family were only contacted twice by the corporation – despite the seriousness of the allegations.
November 8, 2023
Edwards is arrested, but tells noone.
Later speaking to MailOnline, one shocked former colleague and friend said: ‘Huw kept his arrest completely secret’.
They added: ‘It turns out he was arrested four months later and nobody knew. I had no idea until he was charged.’
February 27, 2024
The BBC apologised to the young person’s family, who’d complained about Edwards two months before he was suspended.
An independent report by Deloitte is published into the BBC’s complaints handling procedure
The publicly-funded broadcaster acknowledged that there had been ‘shortcomings’ in the way it had dealt with the case as it reviewed its complaints procedures.
April, 2024
Edwards took sanctuary in his beloved Wales and was being comforted in Carmarthenshire by his mother Aerona.
April 22, 2024
Edwards resigns from the BBC.
Broadcasting executive Stewart Purvis CBE said there is ‘relief across the BBC’ that the ‘extraordinarily damaging saga’ has been resolved.
He added that Edwards having ‘walked from the BBC’ will be viewed as ‘quite a successful outcome’ for the corporation.
June 26, 2024
Edwards is charged with the possession of indecent images of children.
Interrupting coverage of Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s statement in the House of Commons, the BBC announced the breaking news on July 29.
According to the charge sheet, he was accused of having six category A images, 12 category B pictures and 19 category C photographs on WhatsApp.
July 23, 2024
The BBC’s annual report reveals Edwards was paid between £475,000 and £479,999 for the year 2023/24 for 160 presenting days, BBC One news specials, election specials and other television programming.
This salary marked an increase from 2022/23, when he was paid between £435,000 and £439,999 for 180 days presenting on BBC One, as well as news specials.
This was despite him being absent from screens from when the story first broke in July last year until his exit nine months later in April 2024.
But he stayed on the payroll while suspended, which is normal BBC policy, and was suffering from serious mental health issues and received in-patient hospital care.
The BBC confirmed at the time of his departure that he had not received a pay-off and was leaving ‘on the basis of medical advice from his doctors’.
Director general Tim Davie defended the pay and the rise, confirming there was ‘no settlement payment.’ He also said he was not going to ‘get into who’s spoken to who’ when asked if he had spoken to Edwards since his resignation.
July 31, 2024
Edwards remained silent as he left the court building surrounded by the press today
Edwards pleads guilty to making 41 indecent images of children – and faces jail.
The newscaster admitted he kept seven category ‘A’ images of the very worst kind on his phone after being sent them on WhatsApp by a paedophile.
The sick child porn images showed youngsters aged between seven and 14, Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard.
He remained emotionless as he pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children, between December 2020 and August 2022.
His admission now leaves the former news star’s glittering four-decade career in tatters.
September 16, 2024
Edwards is due to be sentenced – and could face up to 10 years in jail.
