LONDON: Ex-BBC anchor Huw Edwards, once one of the most trusted and recognisable faces on British TV, on Monday avoided jail at his sentencing over indecent pictures of children, capping a stunning fall from grace.

The 63-year-old presenter was instead handed a six-month sentence, suspended for two years, meaning he will not serve any time in prison if he does not reoffend. Edwards guided Britons through some of their country’s most seismic events over the past two decades, including the death of Queen Elizabeth II in Sept 2022.

His calm delivery — mixed with the public broadcaster’s reputation for journalistic impartiality — made him a reassuring presence for millions.

But his reputation and career now lie in tatters after he pleaded guilty in July to three charges of making indecent images of children between December 2020 and Aug 2021.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer — a former chief state prosecutor — said he was “shocked and appalled” by the case. Chief magistrate Paul Goldspring said at the sentencing that, if jailed, Edwards would have been at risk of “considerable harm” from others, and of suicide, adding that he had also shown remorse.

Edwards showed little emotion as was sentenced at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in central London, sitting in the dock with his hands clasped as if in prayer.

He left without speaking to the assembled media, which packed out the courtroom. The former anchor admitted receiving 41 indecent images of children over WhatsApp sent by a 25-year-old convicted paedophile, including seven of the most serious type.

Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2024