The BBC has admitted it knew that Huw Edwards had been arrested on ‘suspicion of serious offences’ last November, but kept paying his £479,000-a-year salary until he resigned in April.
The corporation said this afternoon Edwards would have been sacked had he been charged over accessing indecent images while still working for the corporation, adding that it was ‘shocked’ at his ‘abhorrent behaviour’.
It comes as the disgraced BBC News star, 62, pleaded guilty to making indecent images of children, which included two sexual videos of a boy under nine.
The veteran news reader kept seven category ‘A’ images of the very worst kind on his phone after being sent them on WhatsApp by a paedophile.
He had a total of 41 foul images, showing youngsters between the age of seven and 14, Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard today.
Edwards was arrested on November 8 last year, with the BBC being aware of his arrest, it has now been revealed. He was then charge on June 26. He then resigned on June 26 on health grounds.
The News at Ten reader, whose glittering four-decade career is now in tatters, is said to have kept his arrest ‘secret’ from his friends, a former colleague told the Mail today.
The father-of-five moved out of the family home in Dulwich after separating from his TV producer wife, Vicky Flind.
In a statement after Edwards appeared in court today, the BBC said: ‘The BBC is shocked to hear the details which have emerged in court today. There can be no place for such abhorrent behaviour and our thoughts are with all those affected.
‘The police have confirmed that the charges are not connected to the original complaint raised with the BBC in the summer of 2023, nevertheless in the interests of transparency we think it important to set out some points about events of the last year.
‘In November 2023, whilst Mr Edwards was suspended, the BBC as his employer at the time was made aware in confidence that he had been arrested on suspicion of serious offences and released on bail whilst the police continued their investigation. At the time, no charges had been brought against Mr Edwards and the BBC had also been made aware of significant risk to his health.
‘Today we have learnt of the conclusion of the police process in the details as presented to the court. If at any point during the period Mr Edwards was employed by the BBC he had been charged, the BBC had determined it would act immediately to dismiss him. In the end, at the point of charge he was no longer an employee of the BBC.
‘During this period, in the usual way, the BBC has kept its corporate management of these issues separate from its independent editorial functions.
‘We want to reiterate our shock at Mr Edwards’ actions and our thoughts remain with all those affected.’
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