EXCLUSIVEPictured: Paedophile Alex Williams who sent 41 indecent images to Huw Edwards including two of a child as young as seven - ending his career after police found newsreader's number on his phone
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The paedophile who sent disgraced news reader Huw Edwards child porn images can today be pictured for the first time.
Alex Williams, 25, shared 41 indecent images with Edwards, 62, in an abhorrent WhatsApp chat.
Among the sickening trove of abusive pictures shared by the sex offender included two showing a boy as young as seven.
Edwards was snared by chance by police in Wales who were investigating Williams and stumbled upon his messages sent to the famed newsreader.
On Wednesday, the former broadcaster pleaded guilty to making 41 indecent images of children and could now face up to 10 years behind bars.
Williams, pictured here as a teenager on a family trip to a Welsh beauty spot, fled his family home in Wales shortly before his connection to the disgraced BBC star emerged yesterday. He has now gone into hiding.
Do YOU know Alex Williams? Please email [email protected]
Alex Williams, 25, can today be pictured for the first time. He shared indecent images with Huw Edwards that led to the newsreader's downfall. Williams is pictured here as a teenager on a family trip to a Welsh beauty spot
Williams has since gone into hiding after his link with Edwards was exposed by the Mail on Wednesday. He is pictured at a family event
Williams (pictured) was snared by Welsh police - who later discovered he had sent Edwards a series of indecent images of children
Huw Edwards was snared by chance by police in Wales who were investigating Williams and stumbled on his messages to the now-disgraced newsreader (Edwards is pictured on Wednesday leaving Westminster Magistrates' Court)
He sent Edwards 377 images, 41 of which were indecent and formed the charges to which the veteran broadcaster pleaded guilty on Wednesday. Two images involved a boy believed to be as young as seven, Westminster Magistrates' Court heard.
Williams himself was given a 12-month jail term suspended for two years in March after pleading guilty to seven offences relating to possessing and distributing indecent images.
Last night his parents confirmed that Williams is no longer living with them - and denied having any knowledge that he was a sex offender.
Williams' mother claimed to be unaware that her son was convicted of child pornography offences at Merthyr Crown Court earlier this year.
She and Williams' father said they had not seen Williams for three or four months - although neighbours said they spotted him in the street within the last few weeks.
The sex offender's mother also claimed she knows of no connection between her son and the disgraced anchorman.
Edwards on Wednesday pleaded guilty to receiving 41 indecent images of children, which included two sexual videos of a boy under nine.
His offending came to light by chance after police in South Wales found his number on Williams' phone.
The investigation was unrelated to allegations reported in July 2023 that Edwards had paid a teenager more than £35,000 for sexual images.
Edwards is also unlikely to face prison after pleading guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children, experts said last night.
'Although the conduct in the case amounts to no more than just opening the images, it is essentially treated as a form of possession,' Ian Hope, prosecuting, told the court on Wednesday. 'There's no suggestion that Mr Edwards had anything to do with making the images or did anything beyond opening that image.'
Huw Edwards pleaded guilty to receiving 41 indecent images of children, which included two sexual videos of a boy under nine (Edwards is seen leaving court)
Edwards' offending came to light by chance after police in South Wales found his number on Williams' phone
Edwards, 62, received and opened seven category A – the most indecent – images, 12 category B and 22 category C photos between December 2020 and August 2021, Westminster Magistrates' Court heard.
Williams, of Merthyr Tydfil, was given a 12-month jail term suspended for two years in March after pleading guilty to seven offences relating to possessing and distributing indecent images.
Edwards will find out his fate during a sentencing hearing in September. He could face up to 10 years in jail.
The news comes as a BBC insider today claimed Edwards had messaged 'lads in the newsroom for drinks' for years.
A BBC insider claimed that bosses at the corporation may have 'turned a blind eye' to the star's behaviour within the newsroom in order to 'protect' him.
It comes as the BBC admitted it knew Edwards had been arrested on 'suspicion of serious offences' last November, but kept paying his £479,000-a-year salary until he resigned in April.
A BBC source said last night: 'It was known for a few years he was messaging an assortment of lads in the newsroom for drinks etc, yet the feeling is senior editors might have turned a blind eye. If this was the case, it points to the usual ''protect the star'' stuff.'
Edwards was arrested on November 8 last year, with the BBC being aware of his arrest, it has now been revealed. He was then charged on June 26. He resigned in April on health grounds.
The News at Ten reader, whose glittering four-decade career alongside his marriage is now in tatters, is said to have kept his arrest 'secret' from his friends, a former colleague told the Mail yesterday.
Meanwhile, both the Crown Prosecution Service and Scotland Yard faced secrecy allegations over the handling of Edwards's arrest and charge.
The CPS denied it had purposefully suppressed details of the charge or given Edwards preferential treatment.
'Our handling of this case followed our normal procedures working in partnership with police colleagues,' a spokesman said.
In April, the Mail received information that Edwards had been arrested and asked the Metropolitan Police whether there had been an update in any investigation, but was told there had been 'no updates in relation to this matter'. Edwards had in fact been arrested last November.
Scotland Yard said it was not able to respond to enquiries in relation to a named person before charge.
Welsh police uncovered the broadcaster crimes during a separate probe into a sex offender in Wales. Edwards is pictured in court on Wednesday
Edwards, of Wandsworth in south-west London, wore a dark blue suit with a blue tie in the dock
During his court hearing on Wednesday, Edwards' lawyer said that his early guilty plea, previous good character, mental health issues and 'genuine remorse' might lead to the disgraced star avoiding a potential prison term.
Philip Evans KC, defending Edwards, said: 'It is important to remember for context that, as you would expect, the devices were seized and searched and there's nothing on those devices.
'He didn't keep any images. He didn't send any to anyone else and hasn't sought images from anywhere else. Before this, Mr Edwards was not only of good character but of exemplary character.'
He added there was 'no suggestion' Edwards had 'anything to with making the images or indeed doing anything beyond the opening of the images'.
Director at criminal defence firm Olliers Solicitors, Ruth Peters, said that while a jail term was an option open to chief magistrate Paul Goldspring during Edwards' sentencing hearing on September 16, a suspended sentence or community order was more likely.
The former Ten O'Clock News presenter will be added to the sex offenders' register automatically.
Edwards, of Wandsworth in south-west London, wore a dark blue suit with a blue tie in the dock after passing through a scrum of photographers, journalists and protesters to get into the court.
During the 26-minute hearing, he spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth, his street name and postcode, before entering three guilty pleas. Releasing Edwards on bail until September 16, Mr Goldspring said his sentencing powers might be limited and he could still transfer the case to the Crown Court for a stiffer punishment.
