The Japan Times - Ex-BBC presenter Edwards pleads guilty to indecent child images charges

The 62-year-old -- who resigned from the BBC in April on "medical advice", six months after he was arrested -- faces a maximum prison sentence of 10 years and a minimum of 12 months.

Wearing a dark suit and blue tie, Edwards sat impassively during the 25-minute court hearing as he admitted receiving 41 indecent images of children on WhatsApp, including seven of the most serious type.

Under English law, electronic communications involving indecent imagery of children -- including receiving and downloading pictures and videos -- can constitute the offence of making indecent images of children.

The crimes involving Edwards occurred between December 2020 and August 2021, amended from the initial chargesheet which ran to April 2022.

Westminster Magistrates' Court in London heard that the former TV anchor had received 377 sexual images from a man he met online, of which 41 were indecent images of children.

"These images appear to have been received with approval," prosecutor Ian Hope told the court.

Of the gravest, the estimated age of most of the children was 13 to 15, but one was aged between seven and nine, he noted.

Edwards had been told that the male in the "moving film" was "quite young looking" and that he could be sent more that were "illegal".

Although the ex-presenter received that film, he told the man not to send any illegal images, the court heard.

- 'Serious issues' -

Edwards's lawyer, Philip Evans, said that his client's devices had been seized and that it was clear he had not made or shared the images.

"There's no suggestion in this case that Mr Edwards has... in the traditional sense of the word, created any image of any sort," Evans told the court.

He added that the defendant was of "good character" and that "there are serious issues in relation to Mr Edwards's health both mental and physical".

Chief magistrate Paul Goldspring released Edwards on conditional bail until his next hearing on September 16, when he could be sentenced.

Goldspring ordered probation services to draw up a report, telling Edwards he needed "to read more about you" before sentencing.

"I'm asking the probation service to look at this case, with genuinely all options open," the magistrate said.

Hope had earlier told the court that a suspended sentence might be appropriate, if paired with a community order and a sexual offender treatment programme.

Edwards, the BBC's lead presenter on key events such as the death and funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, was suspended in July 2023 when allegations first emerged.

He had also been the anchor of the BBC's flagship 10:00 pm news programme since 2003.

He quit on April 22 after 40 years with the broadcaster.

As the accusations became front-page news last July, Edwards's wife Vicky Flind said the father of five was "suffering from serious mental health issues" and had been admitted to hospital.

The BBC's brand has been built on public trust but the broadcaster has been rocked in recent years by scandals which saw some big names revealed as serial sex offenders.

K.Okada--JT