Former BBC star Huw Edwards arrives at court to face child porn charges over 37 indecent images shared on WhatsApp

Former BBC star Huw Edwards has arrived at court to face his child pornography charges.

Edwards, 62, has been accused of three counts of making indecent images of children.

The offences are alleged to have taken place between 2020 and 2022 and relate to 37 images shared in a WhatsApp chat.  

The ex-News at Ten presenter was charged in June, but the details were only revealed on Monday.

If convicted, he could face a maximum jail term of 10 years. 

Edwards - who helmed royal and political events at the BBC before resigning in April - was bailed and has now appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court.

Dressed in a navy-blue suit and wearing black sunglasses, Edwards arrived outside of court flanked by eight police officers. 

With a blank expression on his face, the former BBC star refused to answer any questions as he made his way through the media melee. 

There were frenzied scenes as the former news anchor was led into court, with protesters shouting as he made his way through the media scrum into the building. 

Journalists outside the court were seen sprinting across the road as Edwards arrived. 

Photographers were knocked to the ground as they scrambled to get to the broadcaster, with one snapper's camera smashed to pieces in the melee. 

According to the charge sheet, Edwards is accused of having six category A images - the most serious child pornography images - 12 category B pictures and 19 category C photographs on WhatsApp.

The offences are contrary to sections 1(1)(a) and 6 of the Protection of Children Act 1978, and if convicted he could face a maximum of up to 10 years in prison.

Category A involves images involving penetrative sexual activity, sexual activity with an animal or sadism; Category B covers images which show non-penetrative sexual activity; while Category C is for indecent images not within categories B or C.

The bombshell news of the veteran broadcaster's child porn charges are said to have rocked Edwards' former colleagues. 

And it prompted questions about why it took prosecutors so long to reveal the charges Edwards is now facing. 

One former colleague and friend told MailOnline: 'Huw kept his arrest completely secret'. 

Edwards was not charged by the Met Police with any crime when the scandal first broke in July 2023. But he was suspended from his job at the BBC. 

He remained absent from screens until his exit in April 2024.

But the news anchor remained on the payroll while suspended, which is normal BBC policy, and was suffering from serious mental health issues and received in-patient hospital care.

However, friends say they had no idea about the alleged offences Edwards was facing, with one telling MailOnline Edwards' arrest had been kept a 'secret'. 

'It turns out he was arrested four months later and nobody knew. I had no idea until he was charged', the friend from the BBC said. 

Another former colleague of the star said: 'It's a mess - and tragic for all concerned.'

The BBC was also blindsided by the criminal charges against its former star presenter, with bosses only told of the allegations a few hours before they were made public, an insider has claimed. 

A senior source told The Times: 'The BBC was informed by the Met Police when a call came through [on Monday].' 

Revealing his arrest earlier this week, a Metropolitan Police spokesman said: '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.'

Last night a former attorney general said it was 'very puzzling' that the Crown Prosecution Service did not publish the details of the charges brought against Edwards around the time he was charged. 

He added that the CPS's actions did not seem 'in accordance with' the principles of open justice, The Telegraph first reported. 

Following the allegations, Edwards moved back in with his mother in Wales. 

He has reportedly since split with his TV producer wife Vicky Flind, who he got engaged to in 1993. The couple share three sons and two daughters. 

Edwards had long been a fixture in the coverage of major political and royal events, announcing Queen Elizabeth II's death on the BBC and presenting coverage of her funeral.

He also anchored the BBC's broadcast of the King's coronation last year.

Last week the BBC confirmed Edwards was paid more than £475,000 in 2023/24 before he resigned and left.

The veteran newsreader 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, according to the BBC's annual report.

This 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.

Throughout the years, Edwards presented the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012 and Platinum Jubilee in 2022, the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (now the Prince and Princess of Wales) in 2011, the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in 2018, and the funeral of Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, in 2021.

The BBC News At Ten presenter was also the broadcaster's voice at Trooping the Colour and the Festival of Remembrance, and took over election coverage from the long-serving David Dimbleby in 2019.