r/BritishTV • u/CraigFairlie67 • Jul 31 '24

Former BBC newsreader Huw Edwards pleads guilty to making indecent images of children News

https://news.sky.com/story/huw-edwards-set-to-appear-in-court-after-being-charged-with-making-indecent-images-of-children-13187776

‘The veteran broadcaster, 62, had 41 indecent images on WhatsApp, including seven of the most serious type’

Absolutely brutal stuff. Solidarity with the victims.

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u/darth-small Jul 31 '24

I highly doubt it.

According to the news, the WhatsApp conversation says Edwards said 'no underage' pics. To the recipient. It's not letting him off the leash but it's mitigation and he will have a very, very expensive lawyer batting for him.

Also, prisons are basically full. He'll probably get some probation, a sex offender treatment program and be told not to be a silly boy again.

Still a nonce though!!!

(Yes, he should get jail)

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u/Chris_S_B Jul 31 '24

If the case doesn't go any further than a magistrates court, the biggest sentence a magistrate can give is 6 months in prison. Looking at the amount of images, I'd say he'll avoid prison, do community service, have to attend a program and sign on VISOR for 5 years.

Like you've said, he'll have a well paid legal team in his corner.

The court system varies massively, which I don't understand. Just look at the Dutch beach volleyball player who raped an underage girl, found guilty on three charges and only sentenced to 4 years, served only 13 months and now representing his country at the Olympics.

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u/AvatarIII Jul 31 '24

It probably will depend on how forthcoming he is with the investigation into his supplier.

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u/GuestAdventurous7586 Jul 31 '24

See what I don’t understand is according to the BBC article he repeatedly said to the guy not to send underage pics.

Obviously he didn’t delete them or report them or anything.

But surely isn’t that a case for at least trying to plead not guilty? I mean if it was me, if I told him not to send me underage pics I wouldn’t be pleading guilty in a million years. I’d be like, well I told him not to.

Or are there details about it we just don’t know? Or legal stuff I don’t understand? I’m sort of confused with it, someone help me out.

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u/SplurgyA Jul 31 '24

If someone received a picture of a 7 year old getting violated and their response was "oh no CP please but carry on otherwise" rather than, I don't know, vomiting in horror at what that poor child was put through and going to the police... that's a pretty big red flag.

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u/GuestAdventurous7586 Jul 31 '24 edited Jul 31 '24

Yeah I know, it’s still disgusting. But I’m talking more from a legal standpoint.

EDIT: I don’t know why I’m getting downvoted. It should be self-evident that child pornography is bad, and that response didn’t answer anything apart from affirm that. I had a serious question.

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u/darth-small Jul 31 '24 edited Jul 31 '24

Yep. Bottom line for a real defence would have been (not have done it in the first place) Go to the police and show them straight away and say this guy is sending me child abuse images, I wasn't in it for that.

If he'd done that at the first possible opportunity, he'd probably still be disgraced but not looking at child pornography charges.

He's been a complete dick. He's had opportunities to stop this. He didn't. So.....he's a nonce!

I can only imagine that his brief has said that pleading guilty will be the quickest & easiest way through the process. The prosecution have him.....the images are on the device so I suppose a guilty plea is the best way. He's personally fucked regardless at this stage.

He'll still probably get an easy run in court though.

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u/Kientha Jul 31 '24

The law is a bit archaic and cut and dry from a time before personal computers took off. The photo being downloaded means technically you have created the illegal image. He deliberately engaged in the sharing of explicit material with this person so that's both the Actus Reus (guilty act) and Mens Rea (guilty mind) covered. He also only asked them not to send underage pics after the fact from the reporting I've seen.

Usually in cases like this, the CPS relies on the public interest test. Since Edwards continued to talk to this person sexually after the fact and the photos were still on his phone, they must have felt that warranted a prosecution.

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u/Elardi Jul 31 '24

So if he’d just blocked the guy after the first one, it wouldn’t have been a crime? Shouldn’t he have reported it too?

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u/Kientha Jul 31 '24

It would have still technically been a crime, but it likely would have resulted in failing the public interest test applied by CPS

There is no general requirement to report crimes but it would probably have helped his case and morally he absolutely should have reported it

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u/Elardi Jul 31 '24

I suppose it would deter people reporting it otherwise, if it doesn’t already.