The teenager who was asked by Huw Edwards to send him explicit photos for £35,000 has said he felt ‘groomed’ by the disgraced presenter.
The young man, who wishes to remain anonymous, was just a teenager when he first began messaging the 62-year-old, and exchanging sexual images for money.
Speaking to the Mirror after the recent revelations that Edwards was in possession of 41 child porn images, the now 21-year-old said: ‘I’ve stayed silent for so long to protect Huw, but I feel sick at what has happened.’
The boy’s mother and stepfather did complained to police in April 2023, but three months later detectives declared that no crime had been committed between the pair.
The teenager who was asked by Huw Edwards to send him explicit photos for £35,000 has said he felt ‘groomed’ by the disgraced presenter
The boy’s mother and stepfather did complained to police in April 2023, but three months later detectives declared that no crime had been committed between the pair
The young man, who actively defended Edwards at the time, has claimed he was in a ‘troubled state of mind’ when he first reached out to the ex News at Ten anchor
The young man, who actively defended Edwards at the time, has claimed he was in a ‘troubled state of mind’ when he first reached out to the ex News at Ten anchor.
He was homeless and in a last ditch attempt for help began messaging celebrities online. Edwards was the only one to respond and sent him £500 for a hotel for a few nights.
After this he alleged that Edwards would ask him for things in return, which he felt unable to refuse because of the ‘power’ of the broadcaster.
‘I needed help, so I did. I feel like he sort of fed on my vulnerability… as he knew I needed the money. I felt like I was being groomed.’
He added: ‘I felt like he was taking advantage of me but I felt I had to listen to him because he was Huw Edwards.’
It all came crashing down, when the then teenager’s mother found the messages between the pair for a rendezvous at Cardiff train station.
AS he worked he way up the ladder he become a common sight at royal events, including the wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton (pictured)
Huw Edwards shakes hands with Queen Elizabeth II during a royal visit to BBC Studios in London in June 2013
The newsreader took sanctuary with his mother Aerona (pictured with him) in his beloved Wales in the aftermath of one scandal
His step-father went instead to confront Edwards and allegedly filmed him there, which they the used to complain to the BBC on May 18 2023.
This comes as footage has been revealed tonight supposedly of Edwards waiting for the teen at Cardiff train station.
The mother and stepfather of the man also went to police in South Wales to report Edwards, but were told there was no crime.
The man has also alleged that the disgraced presenter tried to secretly contact him again in October 2023, after the scandal had died down.
He claimed he received an anonymous message saying ‘guess who’, before asking to speak through the encrypted app Signal.
After he heard the most recent news he said: ‘I was in utter shock. I could not believe that this is what he’s been doing while I knew him. I can’t even believe I’ve put myself in that situation. I feel disgusted with myself in a way. Like I’ve had communications with this person.’
The former BBC News presenter was surrounded by photographers outside Westminster Magistrates’ Court this morning
Edwards arrived at court in London this week accused making 41 indecent images of children.
In the centre of a media scrum and surrounded by photographers, the silver-haired former BBC star gave nothing away as he walked into the building with dark sunglasses covering his eyes.
Inside details of the sick allegations were made public – he had been accused of keeping seven category ‘A’ images of the very worst kind on his phone after being sent them on WhatsApp by a paedophile.
The sick child porn images showed youngsters aged between seven and 14, Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard.
It was revealed that Edwards had been arrested on November 8 last year and charged on June 26, having kept details of the investigation into him ‘secret’ from his friends at the BBC.
The former broadcaster will be sentenced at the same court on September 16, where he could face a prison sentence.
