By Reuters: One of Britain’s main tv information anchors, Huw Edwards, was recognized by his spouse on Wednesday because the BBC presenter dealing with allegations he paid a teenager 1000’s of kilos for sexually specific images, the broadcaster reported.
Edwards introduced the demise of Queen Elizabeth to the nation in September and has led protection of the largest occasions in Britain because the flip of the century, together with elections, royal weddings and the 2012 Olympics.
His spouse, Vicky Flind, mentioned she was making an announcement out of concern for Edwards’ psychological well being and to guard their youngsters, after the preliminary report by the Sun newspaper dominated the information agenda and sparked days of hypothesis.
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“Huw is suffering from serious mental health issues. As is well documented, he has been treated for severe depression in recent years,” Flind mentioned in an announcement, in keeping with the BBC.
“The events of the last few days have greatly worsened matters, he has suffered another serious episode and is now receiving in-patient hospital care where he’ll stay for the foreseeable future.”
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The story first broke on Friday when the Sun tabloid reported a number one BBC presenter had paid a teenager 35,000 kilos ($45,000) for specific images over three years, starting when the individual was 17.
The BBC suspended the presenter however didn’t identify him. Several BBC stars then took to social media to say they weren’t concerned after hypothesis swirled on-line.
The BBC got here below hearth because it struggled to research the declare towards the presenter, defend the individual’s privateness, reply publicly to the allegations, and never anger different presenters who fell below suspicion.
The age of consent for intercourse in England is 16, however pictures of somebody below 18 will be thought-about little one pornography.
London’s Metropolitan Police mentioned earlier on Wednesday it had concluded its evaluation into the allegations and located there was no indication a prison offence had been dedicated.
“There is no further police action,” it mentioned.
The BBC mentioned it will proceed with its inside investigation into the allegations.
In an e mail to employees, BBC Director General Tim Davie mentioned it remained “a very complex set of circumstances”.
“This will no doubt be a difficult time for many after a challenging few days. I want to reassure you that our immediate concern is our duty of care to all involved,” he mentioned.
A spokesperson for The Sun mentioned the newspaper had no plans to publish additional allegations and would cooperate with the BBC’s investigation.
“We will provide the BBC team with a confidential and redacted dossier containing serious and wide-ranging allegations which we have received, including some from BBC personnel,” the spokesperson mentioned.
Edwards, who has 5 youngsters, has labored for the BBC since 1984 and has anchored its flagship “BBC News at Ten” bulletin for greater than twenty years. He is the broadcaster’s highest paid information presenter, incomes within the 435,000 to 439,999 kilos band (about $565,000).
Flind mentioned she hoped the assertion would deliver an finish to media hypothesis which had had an affect on Edwards’ BBC colleagues.
“Once well enough to do so, he intends to respond to the stories that have been published,” she mentioned.
