(Hugh Edwards) Huw Edwards, a well-known former BBC news presenter, has been sentenced to six months in prison with two years perole as it emerged he had sent hundreds of pounds to a convicted pedophile who sent him sickening images and videos of children, some as young as seven years old.

Edwards pleaded guilty to three charges of “creating” inappropriate photographs of children after pedophile Alex Williams sent him 41 images via WhatsApp. The judge, Paul Goldspring, said Edwards, who was once “the UK’s best-known news presenter”, now has his reputation damaged. The court handed him a six-month jail sentence suspended for two years.

The judge accepted that Edwards was not fully aware of the images sent to him due to a mental disorder at the time, and said the former presenter was facing a “perfect storm” of circumstances that contributed to the condition.

At the hearing, a report from a psychosexual therapist was presented, highlighting that Edwards was at risk of suicide and described as a “complex individual” due to his childhood and difficult relationship with his “puritanical” father. Edwards agreed when his personal problems were mentioned in court.

Prosecutor Ian Hope said Edwards had sent Williams “several hundred pounds from time to time” to send him pornographic photographs. The total amount of payments ranged between £1,000 and £1,500.

Hope also reported that Edwards had written “yes xxx” when Williams asked him if he wanted sexual images of a person, estimated to be between 14 and 16 years old. In another conversation, Edwards replied “go ahead” when offered “pictures and videos” of a person described as “young”. Additionally, in one message, Edwards described some of the photos sent to him as “amazing” and asked “what do you need?” when Williams asked for a “Christmas present” for the videos he had sent him.

Defence lawyer, Philip Evans KC, stressed that Edwards is “truly remorseful” and acknowledges the “abhorrent nature” of the images sent to him. The journalist claimed that his alcohol consumption and mental deterioration contributed to his participation in the sickening conversations.