Former BBC presenter Huw Edwards has pleaded guilty to making indecent images of children.

The veteran broadcaster admitted having 41 on WhatsApp, including seven of the most serious type.

Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard the offences were committed between December 2020 and August 2021.

Wearing a dark suit, blue tie and sunglasses, the 62-year-old spoke to confirm his name, date of birth, address and his guilty pleas at the start of the hearing on Wednesday.

After entering his pleas, Edwards sat staring into the distance, with his head tilted slightly upwards, and adjusted his tie as Ian Hope, prosecuting, laid out the case against him.

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The court heard that Edwards had been involved in online chat with an adult man on WhatsApp between December 2020 and August 2021, who sent him 377 sexual images, of which 41 were indecent images of children.

The bulk of these, 36, were sent during a two-month period.

On February 2 2021 the male asked whether what he was sending was too young, in response to which Mr Edwards told him not to send any underage images, the court heard.

The indecent images that were sent included seven category A, the worst, 12 category B, and 22 category C.

Of the category A images, the estimated age of most of the children was between 13 and 15, but one was aged between seven and nine, the court was told.

The final indecent image was sent in August 2021, a category A film featuring a young boy.

The man told Edwards that the boy was quite young looking, and that he had more images which were illegal.

Edwards told him not to send any illegal images, the court was told.

No more were sent, and the pair continued to exchange legal pornographic images until April 2022.

Speaking in Edwards’ defence, his barrister Philip Evans KC said: “There’s no suggestion in this case that Mr Edwards has… in the traditional sense of the word, created any image of any sort.

“It is important also to remember for context that devices, Mr Edwards’ devices, have been seized, have been searched, and there’s nothing in those devices.

“It is only the images that are the subject of the charges that came via a WhatsApp chat.

“Mr Edwards did not keep any images, did not send any to anyone else and did not and has not sought similar images from anywhere else.”