The BBC is paying for therapy for a vulnerable woman who complained twice about Huw Edwards‘ messaging her online.
The issue was reportedly raised with the broadcaster after Edwards failed to cease messaging despite pleas from the woman, known only as Rachel.
The News at Ten presenter pleaded guilty to a string of child sex abuse images, including one of a boy as young as seven, earlier this week that could see him thrown in jail for a maximum of 10 years.
It has plunged the BBC into crisis after it was revealed they were still paying his huge £479,000-a-year salary, despite top chiefs at the organisation knowing of his arrest in November.
To prove that it was in fact Edwards engaging in the messages, Rachel told him to wear a pink tie as he read the news
Broadcaster Huw Edwards leaves Westminster Magistrates’ Court on July 31. He pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent pictures of children between 2020 and 2022
Now The Sunday Times reports that Edwards tried to get a woman to retract her two complaints she raised with the cooperation, once in May 2021 and again in January 2022.
The woman never met the broadcaster, however, a friendship began when she reached out to him on Instagram in 2018.
To her surprise, married, father-of-five Edwards responded but Rachel was still wary and thought she might being ‘catfished’ by someone pretending to be the broadcaster.
To prove that it was in fact Edwards engaging in the messages, she told him to wear a pink tie as he read the news.
Later on he appeared on the BBC flagship news programme, sending her a message after a show saying ‘the tie was for you’.
The pair continued to speak over the next three years but Rachel decided to put a stop to their relationship reportedly claiming it had become ‘toxic’ with Edwards refusing to meet with her and having outbursts of anger.
Rachel had asked him on two occasions to stop contacting her, asking him to block her account, but he refused and they continued messaging. Rachel told the paper she was not mentally strong enough to cease communication.
In May 2021 she made her first complaint and within hours a senior manager reportedly spoke with Edwards, telling him a grievance was raised.
The News at Ten presenter could be thrown in jail for a maximum of 10 years after pleading guilty this week
Despite two complaints, Edwards and Rachel remained in touch until he was taken off air in July 2023 (Pictured: Edwards on the day the Queen died)
Rachel had sent the BBC a load of messages that had been exchanged, including explicit images, that she had voluntarily sent the presenter. The woman, who is in her 40s, said he encouraged her by taking screenshots and reacting with gratitude.
While her identity was not revealed by the cooperation, Rachel said it would be easy to work out who made the complaint which led to Edwards asking her to retract the complaint.
Emails reportedly show Edwards dictating her response that she sent to the BBC.
By February 2022, Edwards was once again met by senior management, who told him that another complaint had been raised. The cooperation later concluded their meetings ‘could have been conducted more formally’.
Despite the two complaints, Edwards and Rachel remained in touch until he was taken off air in July 2023.
Edwards was arrested in November 2023 and was formally charged in June of this year.
Court artist drawing of Edwards. Edwards was arrested in November 2023 and was formally charged in June of this year
This week he pleaded guilty to possessing seven category A images, 12 category B images and 22 category C images of children at Westminster magistrates’ court this week.
Before she found of his arrest Rachel is said to have been warned by Edwards’ lawyers to stop contact.
The BBC reportedly decided to pay for 12 sessions of therapy for Rachel after admitting they were slow to handling her complaint.
The News at Ten reader, whose glittering four-decade career is now in tatters, is said to have kept his arrest ‘secret’ from his friends, a former colleague told the Mail today.
The father-of-five moved out of the family home in Dulwich after separating from his TV producer wife, Vicky Flind.
MailOnline has contacted the BBC.
