BBC News anchor Huw Edwards could potentially face a prison sentence after pleading guilty on Wednesday to three counts of making indecent images of children. Despite this serious offense, the BBC director general, Tim Davie, has defended the decision not to sack Edwards, stating that the corporation made difficult decisions in a fair and judicious manner.
Davie revealed that the BBC was aware of the severity of the alleged offenses when Edwards was arrested in November, but they were not informed of the specifics by the police. The charges against Edwards only came to light earlier this week, shocking BBC executives.
In an interview, Davie emphasized the BBC’s duty of care to Edwards and explained that the decision not to make his arrest public was at the request of the police. He also mentioned that clawing back Edwards’ pension or pay would be legally challenging but stated that all options would be considered.
The BBC’s own investigation into Edwards has not been published, but Davie assured that they were not withholding any information from the police. He reiterated that any evidence of the offenses committed by Edwards would be handed over promptly.
Edwards admitted to having 41 indecent images of children, including seven category A images, the most serious classification. He had been off air since July 2023 when he was suspended after being named in other allegations involving an explicit photo.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer expressed shock and disgust at the charges against Edwards. Davie confirmed that only a small group of people at the BBC, including CEO Deborah Turness, were aware of the arrest and charges before they were made public.
Despite the shocking revelations, BBC News remains editorially independent when reporting on the BBC, ensuring transparency and accountability in their coverage of this troubling situation.
