1689253459-0/image-(2)1689253459-0.png "bbc newsreader huw edwards speaks at the uk holocaust memorial day commemorative ceremony in westminster in london britain january 27 2020 photo reuters file")
A 21-year-old man has come forward, alleging that former BBC anchor Huw Edwards paid him $45,000 for pornographic images of himself as a teenager. Edwards, 62, pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children in a London court on Wednesday.
According to the Daily Mirror, the victim, who was in a vulnerable state at the time, felt "groomed" by Edwards, who sent him $640 for a hotel stay and subsequently asked for explicit images in exchange for financial assistance. The man stated, "I needed help, so I did. I feel like he sort of fed on my vulnerability... as he knew I needed the money. I felt like I was being groomed."
The man received a total of $45,000 from Edwards over a two-year period, according to his PayPal account. He claimed, "In my head, I wasn't selling pictures of myself, I was just getting the money he said he would give me to help me."
The man's mother discovered the explicit messages and orchestrated a sting operation, leading to Edwards' arrest in November 2023. The BBC initially failed to act on the complaint, prompting the mother to contact The Sun, which published a story about Edwards' relationship with the man. Edwards was subsequently suspended and later arrested.
In a disturbing twist, Edwards contacted the man months later, asking "What's been going on? I really care about you." The man described Edwards as showing "no remorse for anything at all."
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