Ex-BBC news presenter Huw Edwards charged with indecent child picture crimes

LONDON (Reuters) - Former British TV news presenter Huw Edwards, a household name in Britain, has been charged with three counts of making indecent pictures of children, police said on Monday.

Edwards, 62, was the BBC's highest paid news presenter and anchored the broadcaster's "BBC News at Ten" bulletin for more than two decades. He resigned in April.

He has been charged with three counts of making an indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of a child relating to images found on a child's phone, according to court documents.

"The offences, which are alleged to have taken place between December 2020 and April 2022, relate to images shared on a WhatsApp chat," a London police spokesperson said.

"Edwards was arrested on 8 November, 2023. He was charged on Wednesday, 26 June following authorisation from the Crown Prosecution Service."

He was bailed to appear at London's Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.

Edwards was one of the main faces at the BBC until his departure, announcing the death of Queen Elizabeth to the nation, and leading coverage of the biggest events in Britain since the turn of the century, including elections, royal weddings and the 2012 Olympics.

He quit on medical advice after allegations emerged that he had paid a young person thousands of pounds for sexually explicit photos.

(Reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by Kate Holton)