Former BBC News presenter Huw Edwards admitted to three counts of making indecent images of children at Westminster Magistrates’ Court

Huw Edwards has pleaded guilty to downloading indecent images of children after investigations spanning over months.

It was The Sun newspaper that initially reported an unnamed BBC star had accessed the illegal material and was paying large sums of money for it.

No one knew who it was at the time, but it was Huw’s wife that confirmed in a statement that it was her husband.

Vicky Flind, who met Huw while he was a BBC correspondent in Westminster, announced their decision “primarily out of concern for his mental well-being and to protect our children.”

The couple, now separated after the story came to light, got engaged in 1993. Vicky, a TV producer, admitted Huw was suffering from “serious mental health issues” after facing rumours he was the unnamed BBC star in question, so their statement was released.

“In light of the recent reporting regarding the ‘BBC Presenter’ I am making this statement on behalf of my husband Huw Edwards, after what have been five extremely difficult days for our family,” she began.

“I am doing this primarily out of concern for his mental well-being and to protect our children. Huw is suffering from serious mental health issues. As is well documented, he has been treated for severe depression in recent years.

“The events of the last few days have greatly worsened matters, he has suffered another serious episode and is now receiving in-patient hospital care where he’ll stay for the foreseeable future.

Once well enough to do so, he intends to respond to the stories that have been published. To be clear Huw was first told that there were allegations being made against him last Thursday.

In the circumstances and given Huw’s condition I would like to ask that the privacy of my family and everyone else caught up in these upsetting events is respected.

I know that Huw is deeply sorry that so many colleagues have been impacted by the recent media speculation. We hope this statement will bring that to an end.”

Huw has now reportedly moved out of his family home in Dulwich, south London after splitting from Vicky. It’s thought he’s living in another property in London and splitting time between the capital city and Wales, it’s also thought the pair’s not yet officially divorced.

A source said the couple, who share five grown-up children – three sons and two daughters, separated “quite a long time ago but have not announced it publicly”. The insider told The Sun newspaper: “Huw has been living elsewhere for a while.”

Huw pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today.

The court heard that Edwards had engaged in WhatsApp conversations with a man who sent him 41 indecent images of children between December 2020 and August 2021.

The man had sent Huw a total of 377 sexual images, 41 of which were indecent images of children. These included seven category A images – the most severe type, 12 category B, and 22 category C images.

Among the content sent to Huw was a category A film featuring a young boy. The man informed Edwards that the boy appeared quite young and that he possessed more illegal images. Edwards instructed him not to send any illegal images, the court heard yesterday.

Over 40 indecent images of children had been sent, with the majority (36) being sent during a two-month period between December 2020 and August 2021.

On February 2, 2021, the man asked Edwards if the images he was sending were too young, to which Edwards responded by telling him not to send any underage images, the court heard.

The court was told that the estimated age of most of the children in the category A images was between 13 and 15, but one child was aged between seven and nine.

On Tuesday, Edwards remained impassive as he entered guilty pleas to three counts of making indecent images of children. He appeared detached, gazing into the distance with his head slightly raised after the charges were confirmed.

Claire Brinton of the Crown Prosecution Service said: “Accessing indecent images of underage people perpetuates the sexual exploitation of children, which has deep, long-lasting trauma on these victims.

The CPS and the Metropolitan Police were able to prove that Edwards was receiving illegal material involving children via WhatsApp.

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