Huw Edwards has been pictured arriving at court on Wednesday morning after being charged with making indecent images of children.
The former BBC News star is alleged to have had 37 photographs on WhatsApp, including six of the most serious type.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said: "Huw Edwards, 62, of Southwark, London has been charged with three counts of making indecent images of children following a Met Police investigation.
"The offences, which are alleged to have taken place between December 2020 and April 2022, relate to images shared on a WhatsApp chat.
Huw Edwards is accused of making indecent images of children
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"Edwards was arrested on 8 November 2023. He was charged on Wednesday, 26 June following authorisation from the Crown Prosecution Service.
"He has been bailed to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, 31 July.
"Media and the public are strongly reminded that this is an active case. Nothing should be published, including on social media, which could prejudice future court proceedings."
Edwards arrived at court to hoards of paparazzi and placard-holding protestors.
Huw Edwards has been one of the BBC's highest-paid personnel before his exit from the corporation
PA
The former BBC News presenter was flanked by police officers as he made his way inside the venue while sporting a pair of sunglasses and a navy suit.
Edwards is accused of making six Category A images, the most serious classification of indecent images, on a phone while is also alleged to have 12 Category B pictures and 19 Category C photographs.
If convicted in Crown Court, a prison sentence of several years may follow.
GB News' Mark White described the scenes as a "classic press bun-fight" as he reported live from Westminster.
Edwards officially left the BBC in April 2024 having spent much of 2023 off-screen, citing "medical advice" as the reason for his departure.
In July 2023, Edwards was named by his wife as the subject of a report by The Sun that alleged a well-known BBC presenter had paid a teenager thousands of pounds for explicit images.
GB News reported live from Westminster Magistrates' Court on the morning of Huw Edwards' hearing
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Huw Edwards was flanked by police as he made his way into court
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The Metropolitan Police reported that it had found no evidence of crime and would not investigate further regarding the report.
He was suspended soon after. According to the BBC's annual report, he received a pay increase of £40,000 in the year 2023/24.
Its annual report stated Edwards' salary rose to £475,000-£479,999 between April 2023 and April 2024.
