Is Huw Edwards in Prison?
Last reviewed: June 2026. Details can change — check current news for the latest position.
No. The former BBC presenter Huw Edwards received a suspended prison sentence on 16 September 2024 and therefore did not go to prison. He pleaded guilty to three offences of making indecent images of children and was given six months’ custody, suspended for two years, ordered to pay costs, placed on the sex offenders register and required to complete a sex-offender treatment programme. He will only serve the prison term if he breaches the order.
What happened
Edwards pleaded guilty at Westminster Magistrates’ Court to three counts of making indecent images of children — in law, “making” includes receiving or downloading images. The images had been sent to him by another man via WhatsApp. He had been arrested in November 2023 and resigned from the BBC in April 2024.
The sentence
| Detail | Fact |
|---|---|
| Sentenced | 16 September 2024 |
| Sentence | 6 months, suspended for 2 years (no immediate custody) |
| Also | £3,000 costs; sex offenders register; treatment programme |
Separately, there has been an ongoing dispute about the salary (reported at around £200,000) the BBC paid him between his arrest and resignation; as of 2025 the BBC said it had asked him to repay it but had no clear legal route to recover it.
Commonly misreported
- He did not go to prison — the sentence was suspended.
- A suspended sentence is still a criminal conviction and is activated if breached.
- “Making” indecent images is a legal term that includes downloading/receiving.
Frequently asked questions
Did Huw Edwards go to prison?
No — he received a six-month sentence suspended for two years.
What did he plead guilty to?
Three offences of making indecent images of children.
Related
See how suspended sentences work and how sentencing works. Source: Crown Prosecution Service statement (16 Sept 2024).
