Former News Anchor Accused of Taking Indecent Photos of Children

Former British TV news presenter Huw Edwards has been charged with three counts of making indecent photographs of children, Reuters reports , citing British police.

Edwards, 62, a household name in Britain, was the BBC's highest-paid news presenter and hosted BBC News at Ten for more than two decades. He stepped down in April this year.

According to court documents cited by Reuters, the former presenter was charged with creating an indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of a child based on images found on his phone.

"The crimes, which are believed to have occurred between December 2020 and April 2022, are linked to images exchanged in a WhatsApp chat," a Metropolitan Police spokesman told the agency. The BBC notes that there were 37 images in the chats.

Reuters writes that Edwards was arrested on November 8, 2023, after which he was charged on June 26 this year. At that time, the former presenter was released on bail so that he could appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London, which is scheduled to take place on July 31.

If Edwards is found guilty, he faces several years in prison, according to the BBC.

As Reuters notes, Edwards was one of the BBC's leading figures before his departure. In particular, he announced the death of Queen Elizabeth and covered the UK's biggest events since the turn of the 21st century, including elections, royal weddings and the 2012 Olympics.

At the same time, as CNN reports , Edwards continued to receive a salary after leaving the BBC. He received more than $600,000 from the channel between April 2023 and March 2024.

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