The British Academy of Film and Television Arts ( Bafta ) is considering stripping disgraced BBC presenter Huw Edwards of his awards after he pleaded guilty on Wednesday to charges of making indecent photographs of children . Edwards, 62, who was the BBC’s highest-paid newsreader , admitted before the Westminster Magistrates’ Court to having 41 indecent images of children on his phone. He was sent 41 illegal images by convicted paedophile Alex Williams .
Seven of these photos belonged to category A, the most serious kind, with two photos showing a child aged between about seven and nine. Edwards’ sentencing is due on 16 September. He faces up to 10 years in prison.
Bafta said it was reviewing the awards given to Edwards over the years “given the seriousness of this abhorrent crime”. “Like everyone in the industry and country we were shocked by the news this week,” a Bafta spokesperson said. Edwards has received a host of Bafta awards over the course of almost three decades presenting the BBC’s flagship evening news programming, including seven awards recognising his presenting skills from its Welsh branch, Bafta Cymru.
One of these was for presenting a 2017 documentary on the 1966 Aberfan disaster and another for The Story of Wales in 2013. Edwards was also part of the BBC teams that won Bafta awards for coverage of Prince William’s marriage to Kate Middleton in 2011, the Madrid bombings in 2004, and the London bombings in 2005. BBC director general Tim Davi.