The man who shared indecent images of children with former BBC presenter Huw Edwards, also a 25-year-old from Wales, was given a 12-month suspended prison sentence earlier this year.
Alex Williams, from Merthyr Tydfil, pleaded guilty to seven charges relating to the possession and distribution of indecent images and was sentenced at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court in March.
On Tuesday, Mr Edwards was ordered by Westminster magistrates not to contact Mr Williams after the BBC’s highest-paid news presenter admitted accessing indecent pictures of children aged just seven.
Edwards pleaded guilty in court to three charges of making indecent images of a child after Williams sent him 41 illegal images.
The court was told seven of the indecent images Williams provided to the broadcaster were classed as Category A, the most serious type.
The Metropolitan police confirmed they launched an investigation into Edwards in November following a tip-off from South Wales Police. As part of the investigation it was discovered that Williams had sent indecent images of children to Edwards and exchanged messages about them.
Wales Police confirmed to the Guardian that Williams was arrested in August 2022 and released on bail whilst inquiries continue. He was charged in December 2023 and appeared in court in January. He pleaded guilty to possessing and distributing category A, B and C images, and possessing prohibited images of children.
Westminster Magistrates’ Court was told on Tuesday that the last indecent image he sent to Edwards was in August 2021. It was category A footage featuring a young boy.
The messages, the court heard, showed Williams telling the news anchor that the child “looked quite young” and that there were more illegal images.
Mr Edwards told Williams not to send him any illegal images and he complied, the court heard. No further images were sent and the pair continued to exchange legal pornographic images until April 2022.
Williams has been missing since his messages to Edwards were exposed. According to MailOnline Police contacted Williams’ parents, who told reporters that Williams no longer lived at home and that they had not seen him in four months, and they denied any knowledge of Williams having been convicted of a sex offense.
