Huw Edwards says he may not have been prosecuted if he wasn't famous

Disgraced BBC presenter Huw Edwards has taken to an online platform to argue that if we wasn't a "highly visible" public figure, he may not have faced criminal charges.

Edwards, 65, admitted a charge of "making" indecent images of children and having 41 photographs on WhatsApp, including seven of the most serious type.

He was handed a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, in September 2024.

In his latest Substack post, Edwards started by saying: "Today is the day. Two years have gone by since my sentencing at Westminster Magistrates' Court."

Edwards noted the sentence handed down by the chief magistrate was six months' imprisonment, suspended for two years, adding that his period of rehabilitation is "officially over".

He said in the post that 1,000 men are arrested every month in the UK in relation to accessing indecent images.

"It is not surprising that individuals are hardly ever singled out for attention by the press," he added.

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Edwards continued: "I was never involved in online forums, and a forensic examination of my internet history showed that I had never searched for any of this vile material.

"Indeed, had I not been such a highly visible public figure, I might not have faced any criminal charges.

"That is not my view, I stress - it is the opinion of some of London's most experienced lawyers, and of former Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) staff who have made contact with me privately over the past two years."

Edwards was best known for presenting the BBC's News At Ten for decades, delivering some of the biggest stories to the public, including Queen Elizabeth II's death in 2022.

In July 2023, a report by The Sun alleged that a "top BBC star" had paid a teenager for sexual pictures, and days later his wife named him as the presenter at the centre of the scandal.

During sentencing, Judge Paul Goldspring said he believed Edwards's remorse was genuine and his mental health could have impaired his decision-making.

Edwards resigned in April 2024 and was charged in June 2024 after a Metropolitan Police investigation.

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