A former top BBC anchor has been charged with three counts of making indecent images of children.
The London Metropolitan Police announced the charges against Huw Edwards on Monday.
Before leaving his position, Edwards was one of the highest-paid presenters on BBC, making an annual salary of around £435,000 ($565,000).
According to a report from the BBC, Edwards was arrested in November and charged last month, but the police did not reveal the charges until this week.
Edwards left the BBC in April, approximately five months after being arrested.
The charges relate to 37 images of minors that were shared on WhatsApp.
The report states, "Mr Edwards is accused of having six category A images, the most serious classification of indecent images, on a phone. He is also accused of having 12 category B pictures and 19 category C photographs."
The London Metropolitan Police issued the following statement about the charges:Huw Edwards, 62, of Southwark, London has been charged with three counts of making indecent images of children following a Met Police investigation.
The offences, which are alleged to have taken place between December 2020 and April 2022, relate to images shared on a WhatsApp chat.
Edwards was arrested on 8 November 2023. He was charged on Wednesday, 26 June following authorisation from the Crown Prosecution Service.
He has been bailed to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, 31 July.
Media and the public are strongly reminded that this is an active case. Nothing should be published, including on social media, which could prejudice future court proceedings.
The BBC report states, "He was previously the corporation’s most high-profile and best-paid news anchor, one of the main presenters on BBC One's Ten O'Clock News, and was often chosen to front coverage of major national events."
Edwards has been defended by many of his journalist peers who sought to downplay the allegations. In 2023, journalist @Suzanne_Moore wrote that BBC News anchor Huw Edwards grooming teenagers was "not black and white," and questioned the credibility of his "crack addict" victim.
Today, Huw Edwards was charged with three counts of making indecent images of children. pic.twitter.com/gKpuImSfvj
— Eyup Lovely (@eyuplovely) July 29, 2024 Hey @jonsopel , is this you ?
Any further comment on the new
Huw Edwards allegations?
You know, your mate of 30 years.
“The allegations have turned out to be not that much “pic.twitter.com/dVEschUzHI
— Adam Brooks AKA EssexPR 🇬🇧 (@EssexPR) July 29, 2024 Owen Jones was one of the 1st to defend alleged paedo Huw Edwards. Why were the left so quick to defend? pic.twitter.com/QgeQi2f1HI
— Major Harry Clark🇮🇱 (@WinstonsButler) July 29, 2024
