VILE messages sent by Huw Edwards to the teenager at the centre of our original revelations about the shamed BBC newsreader today lay bare the depths of his grooming.
A new Sun documentary into the presenter’s sickening behaviour shows how he sent a series of controlling and abusive messages to the young man, who was sending him sexual images in return for payments of tens of thousands of pounds.
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The exchanges reveal Edwards’s secret Jekyll and Hyde character as he switches between repeatedly telling his victim that he loves him – before viciously abusing him in foul-mouthed tirades.
Edwards also gives the young man instructions on using PayPal and a Monzo bank account so he can send him cash.
At his sentencing today, it was separately revealed how Edwards was also sending money to the convicted paedophile who was supplying him with indecent images of children, via WhatsApp.
Alex Williams was sent between £1,000 and £1,500 by Edwards.
It suggests Edwards had a pattern of behaviour of sending money to people who were supplying sexual pics.
The messages we reveal today were sent to the unnamed young man at the centre of our original revelations about Edwards, which were published in July 2023.
The youngster, who had a drug problem, received as much as £35,000 from the shamed TV presenter.
Experts said the messages show a clear pattern of “grooming”.
At one point Edwards tells the vulnerable teenager: “I love you but you kill me.”
In another he says: “You think my life revolves around you?
“Get f***ing real.”
In The Sun’s documentary about the scandal “Huw Edwards Unmasked”, the mum of the vulnerable victim tells of her shock when she discovered the texts between her son and Edwards.
She said: “When I first saw the messages I felt sick, so disgusted.
“Sick to my stomach. There were so many.
“On New Year’s Eve into New Year’s Day. Even When Huw was with his family…
“Calling my son a ‘good boy’. Sending him kisses and love hearts…
“Even telling him he loves him. But then others, more aggressive, calling my son all sorts.
“Threatening my boy.”
Paedo’s pattern of behaviour
By Scarlet Howes
NIGHT after night he sternly delivered the most important news to the nation, with his authoritative style winning countless awards.
But away from his famous desk, as we have discovered, Huw Edwards was a manipulative paedophile who used the same pattern of behaviour time and time again to feed his relentless desires.
Some 437 days since the Sun’s bombshell front page – Edwards today appeared in court to learn his fate, his once glittering career in ruins.
Our exclusive that he paid a youngster thousands of pounds for sexual pictures made headlines around the globe and set into motion a series of events which plunged the BBC into crisis.
And Edwards – at the time the BBC’s highest earning newsreader – never again appeared on our screens.
Today, a court heard Edwards paid a younger convicted paedophile £1,500 for child sex images and videos of children which he described as “amazing”.
The case centred on messages between sex offender Alex Williams, who was a teen when they struck up a relationship, and 63-year-old Edwards.
We must be clear, the facts of that case are unrelated to our original story.
But there are some alarming similarities in his exchanges with both young people – and a pattern of deeply disturbing behaviour.
He made contact with both on social media, messaged them on WhatsApp, harassed them for pictures, and then gave them money.
There were kisses involved and Christmas presents given.
Chillingly, he even bought both of them, who are decades younger, a pair of trainers.
And all in exchange for sexual pictures.
Cash was used as leverage to the men, one homeless, the other a student, who could only dream of earning his top salary.
What The Sun uncovered was a pattern of behaviour and had we not done so Edwards’ could well have remained undetected.
In one exchange – on New Year’s Eve 2022 – Edwards sends a string of abusive messages to the young man.
“Stop being a kn*b and talk to me tomorrow when you’re sober.”
“Now listen to me. If you want help in future stop this cr*p ok.”
“You’ve disappointed me.”
“I regret helping you so much.”
“I should have known.”
“You should know better.”
The film reveals that in another exchange on February 18 last year, Edwards again launches a torrent of abuse towards his young victim – and worries his secret payments in return for sexual images will be revealed.
He wrote: “You’re a disaster area.”
“Why does this happen all the time??!??”
“I’m with family stop being a pain.”
“I’m sick of you getting into a mess all the time.”
“Don’t be stupid.”
“My Monzo is easily traceable.”
“I can do PayPal nothing else.”
“You are really really really trying my patience.”
“I don’t need this f***ing sh*t.”
“Delete these messages if it’s not your phone ok???”
“Send me your Monzo details you idiot.”
“You make me so angry.”
“WTF you talking about you f***ing disaster.”
“Go f**k yourself.”
“Get f***ing real.”
“Tell you what. I’ll stop helping you then you can see what no care is.”
“F**k you.”
“You’re an ungrateful t**t.”
But in the same exchange Edwards suddenly flips and tells the young man he loves him and wants to meet him in Wales.
He posted: “I f***ing love you…but you kill me x”
“I love you seriously x”
“I will never end you. You idiot. You know that. X”
“Next time in Cardiff you need to see me x”
“Good boy.”
“Don’t forget.”
“I love you x”
Our investigation also reveals that a few days later Edwards again messaged the boy after sending him more cash.
He wrote: “I love you.
“Don’t forget.
“It’s good to know you are loved X.”
But the star presenter’s mood switched again later after his young victim rang him in the middle of the night.
Edwards texted:”I can’t trust you to respect my situation.
“Now leave me alone.
“Actually calling me at 2am? F**k that.
“Calling me at 2am even when I told you to stop ??????
You’re so f***ing out of order.
“Grow up.
“Just grow up.
“And when someone helps you – show respect.”
‘Edwards completely fits the profile of a sexual predator’, says ex Met cop
Ex cop and internet expert Jonathan Taylor said Edwards “completely” fits the profile of a sexual predator.
Jonathan, who spent 10 years working undercover with the Met police to snare groomers, said: “You had a young vulnerable person and a family crying out for help but Huw didn’t offer professional help like any adult would or should. He used it to his advantage.
“The parents concerned must have worried that Edwards was condemning their child to a lifetime of drug use.”
He said the exchanges between the 17-year-old and the powerful presenter were typical of groomers.
He added: “Hugh has made a decision to engage with this person rather than dismiss contact with someone much younger.
“These exchanges were the type I’d see as an undercover police officer when I’d pose as a young person. I would remain completely passive and the other person, in this case Huw, would try to instigate meetings.
“It shows a pattern of behaviour and I would not be at all surprised if more young people came forward.
“Edwards completely fits the profile of a sexual predator.”
The Sun revealed in July 2023 that Edwards had paid at least £35,000 to the young man in return for sexual pictures.
The mum said: My son told me everything. Huw Edwards had been paying him for sexual pictures.
“Huw Edwards was paying him to perform sexually. My son. We had to stop it.
“Suddenly out of nowhere he had money to spend. He started showing me deposits in his bank account for £2,000 at a time. That money, that was fuelling his addiction.
“I asked his cousin who was paying him and they said it was an old man with grey hair.
“I couldn’t believe it. A grey-haired man was sending money to my 17-year-old son.
“I knew it must be something sexual but I didn’t even realise he was gay at this point. He didn’t come out to me until later.
“He sent me a picture of Huw Edwards sat on a sofa in his boxers, leaning forward as though getting ready to fondle himself – while my son performs for him. They would have sex on a video call and Edwards would pay him for it.
“Huw Edwards was a man in his sixties and my son was a teenage boy. It wasn’t normal.
“I didn’t like what my son was telling or showing me. But as his mother I was worried sick and I didn’t want him to stop confiding in me.
“There was one time when my son said to me: ‘Do you think I’m the only one, Mum?’
“And I had to say: ‘No, love. There’ll be others’.
“It was heartbreaking.
“I liked that man. He was always my favourite on TV. My favourite. He was Welsh, like us.
“And then sometimes I could hear my son on the phone to him and I could hear an evil man talking.
“The next day I would see him presenting the news on TV and I’d see evil.”
The Sun has released its documentary ‘Huw Edwards: Unmasked’ which lifts the lid on the predatory paedophile – you can watch it on thesun.co.uk and our YouTube channel.