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I knew Huw Edwards was an abuser but now I know he’s a monster says mum who blew whistle on paedophile presenter
The mother said there were times she 'wanted to die' as people attacked her over the story
THE mum who blew the whistle on Huw Edwards said last night: “Now the whole world can see the kind of man he is.”
She told how she broke down in tears after hearing the former BBC newsreader had pleaded guilty to possessing sex videos of a seven to nine-year-old boy.
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Speaking to The Sun, she said: “It sickens me to my core that he had those videos of that little boy when he was also talking to my child and asking them for sexual pictures.
“I knew he was an abuser — but now I know he is truly a monster.”
The mother, who was behind our exclusive story last July, said there were times she “wanted to die” as people attacked her over the story.
She said: “I thought perhaps it was best if I wasn’t here anymore. I felt the whole world was against me.
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“I kept seeing front pages criticising what I had done — and old BBC friends of Huw who said he was a wonderful man.
“Jon Sopel said it was just a complicated private life. No wonder no one ever speaks up. It felt like we were just the little men, so could be easily brushed aside. They all said we had destroyed Huw’s life and seemed to think we just wanted money.
“Their comments, and comments like theirs by other presenters, caused a massive backlash which even made me doubt myself. I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t sleep, I felt so alone.
“Even family members turned against me after reading all of this. I thought ‘is it even worth it?’. But now I can at least say it was. I hope they will apologise.”
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The youngster’s stepfather, who originally made the complaint, said: “Everyone who doubted us needs to take accountability.
“We never wanted to take it further, but the BBC didn’t listen. We feel so sorry for his wife and children and our hearts go out to them.”
Huw Edwards pleads guilty to making 41 indecent images of children including some in worst category
The mum spoke out after Edwards pleaded guilty yesterday to charges of having indecent photos of children, including sexual videos of a boy as young as seven.
The family turned to The Sun in July last year after accusing the BBC of failing to take their concerns seriously.
They had begged the corporation to make Edwards “stop sending cash”, after discovering their teenage child had been using the money for drugs.
She described how terrifying it was that this “man who was in everyone’s living room” reading the news was targeting her child.
Their complaint also included that Edwards, 62, had asked for sexual pictures.
The youngster’s mother said: “I knew he was a ruthless exploiter after I was shown a video of him in his boxers on webcam waiting for a performance.
“There were so many messages — which we sent to the BBC — which show proof of cash transactions and that he knew my child was vulnerable.
FALL FROM GRACE
By Ed Southgate
PERVERT presenter Huw Edwards had a glittering BBC career and was even tipped for a knighthood before his rapid fall from grace.
He was News at Ten anchor when he bowed and shook hands with Queen Elizabeth II as she opened the Beeb’s new Broadcasting House in London in June 2013.
Edwards held the nation’s hand through monumental events including the Queen’s death and funeral in 2022, the coronation last year of King Charles and numerous general election night specials.
The veteran broadcaster, 62, was widely rumoured to be in line for a knighthood for “holding it together” when announcing the Queen’s death.
But after The Sun exposed his sick behaviour, he quit the BBC after 40 years and now faces jail.
“One message shows my child thanking Huw for sending money and Huw replies saying ‘I love you don’t forget’.
“I felt utterly sickened when Huw used the word ‘love’. Huw is the one with the power — it’s toying with their emotions. There’s even a message between my child and Huw which shows he tried to meet at 6am. Why would anyone meet at 6am?
“I’ve seen messages where Huw is telling my child to delete messages so no one finds out what’s going on.
“But I was shocked when I heard the full extent of the charges that came out this week — and their ages.
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“When I heard about the video of the seven to nine-year-old boy I broke down in tears.
“It’s even worse than I thought. It’s even more sickening for me as a mother that he had these images the same time he was doing this to my child.”
A court heard the former News At Ten presenter received the images on WhatsApp between December 2020 and August 2021.
The mum said: “It was during lockdown, at this exact time, around 2020, when I found out Huw was the one giving my child money.”
When I heard about the video of the seven to nine-year-old boy I broke down in tears
Before then, the family was given only a tiny clue of Edwards’ identity.
She said: “I asked my child’s cousin where she thought the money was coming from and she told me he was old, he had grey hair. And then my child told me about some famous person.
“At the start they called him ‘Jonah’. They told me this man was a newsreader, so I couldn’t say anything. I was finally told it was Huw and he had been asking for sexual pictures from my teenage child.”
Our story on July 7 last year came after the complaint about Edwards was lodged at a BBC building almost two months earlier, on May 18.
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The family had been referred to the BBC’s Audience Services, who sent the case to its Corporate Investigations team.
Our story did not name Edwards, who was taken off air and suspended three days later.
A BBC investigation was launched into the corporation’s star presenter, who announced the death of Queen Elizabeth II and led the coverage of the King’s Coronation.
The broadcaster’s Director-General Tim Davie also ordered a review to “assess how some complaints are red-flagged up the organisation”.
Meanwhile, a report released in February by auditors Deloitte detailed how the family’s complaint had not been brought to senior managers’ attention.
It also stated there was “insufficient” documentation of attempts to contact the family.
It’s truly horrifying. I just want my family to heal now
Two months later, Edwards quit — with the family begging the BBC for answers.
The mother said: “We’ve suffered as a family immensely for over a year. We got no answers when Huw quit from the BBC and have been left in the dark.
“I expected the BBC investigators to want to go through these messages and evidence with me to explain what was happening to my child at the time, but they didn’t seem interested.
“My child wouldn’t speak to me for months — and all the comments that we had from the haters didn’t help. My heart is broken as they think I don’t love them, but I love them so much.
“We are finally rekindling our relationship, which I’m delighted about, but I hope they can see what I did was justified and that’s been proven by Huw’s admission.”
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Her eyes full of anguish, the mum stressed: “My heart goes out to all of the victims in those images. Nobody wanted to believe it of Huw, not even me.
“It’s truly horrifying. I just want my family to heal now.”
BBC plagued by paedos
BY Tom Seaward
THIS is the latest in a long line of paedophile scandals dating back decades to have marred the BBC’s reputation.
Jimmy Savile’s shocking crimes rocked the corporation in 2012, when the presenter was revealed to be a prolific sex offender.
Savile, who died in 2011 before the allegations became widely known, is thought to have assaulted up to 450 young people, with police recording 31 allegations of rape against him.
His crimes stretched back to 1955 and allegations included the abuse of desperately ill children and necrophilia.
Jonathan King, BBC presenter and music impresario, was jailed for seven years in 2001 for molesting five teenage boys in the 1980s.
Thick of It actor Chris Langham was caged for ten months in 2007 for downloading child sex abuse images and videos.
It’s a Knockout star Stuart Hall got 30 months in 2013 for indecent assaults on girls.
Original Radio 1 presenter Chris Denning was caged for 13 years in 2014 for abusing 26 boys from 1967 to 1987, and got another 13-year sentence two years later.
He had also done jail time in the 1980s for assaulting boys.
And shamed presenter Rolf Harris was jailed for five-and- a-half years in 2014 for molesting four young girls, including one aged seven.
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