Huw Edwards avoids jail and given six month suspended jail sentence

Metropolitan Police image of former BBC broadcaster Huw Edwards who has been sentenced at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London,  to six months' imprisonment suspended for two years after admitting accessing indecent images of children
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


Former BBC broadcaster Huw Edwards has been sentenced to six months imprisonment, suspended for two years after admitting accessing indecent images of children.

Today, Edwards was sentenced at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today (Monday, September 16) by Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring. In court, Edwards sat with his hands together, pressed on his lips as Mr Goldspring told him: “The impact of child sexual abuse can be severe and lifelong,” the Mirror reports.

In July, Edwards admitted three charges of "making" indecent photographs after he was sent 41 illegal images by Williams over WhatsApp. Between December 2020 and August 2021, convicted paedophile Alex Williams sent him 377 sexual images, of which 41 were indecent images of children on WhatsApp.

READ MORE: Huw Edwards sent money to paedophile after receiving indecent images, court told

Today, the court heard how Edwards sent hundreds of pounds to Williams after he sent pornographic images. The judge sentencing Huw Edwards has said the former broadcaster’s “long-earned reputation is in tatters”.

He said: “Perhaps it does not need saying that you are of previous good character having enjoyed a very successful career in the media. You were highly regarded for your dedication and professionalism, perhaps the most recognised journalist in the UK. Your reputation is in tatters.”

Chief Magistrate Goldberg also accepted Edwards' mental health was a factor at the time. He said: “I accept that your mental health at the relevant time and you had no memory of viewing any particular image and do not know whether you did. You did not store the images, you did not keep them and you did not distribute them.”

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