It has also emerged that the man who shared the images of children with the former news anchor was Alex Williams, who pleaded guilty in March to possessing and distributing images of children.

The images, shared with Edwards by Williams via WhatsApp, came to light during an unrelated investigation by South Wales Police.

Williams, 25, was convicted of seven offences and given a suspended 12-month jail sentence at Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court on March 15.

The Metropolitan Police said an investigation into Edwards began after a phone seized by officers as part of an unrelated probe revealed the broadcaster's participation in a WhatsApp conversation.

The BBC said in a statement released after Edwards pleaded guilty to three offences in court this morning, the broadcaster expressed its "shock" at the details that emerged on Wednesday.

A BBC spokesperson said: "There can be no place for such abhorrent behaviour and our thoughts are with all those affected.

"The police have confirmed that the charges are not connected to the original complaint raised with the BBC in the summer of 2023, nevertheless in the interests of transparency we think it important to set out some points about events of the last year."

Edwards, 62, was surrounded by photographers as he arrived at Westminster Magistrates' Court.

The offences occurred between December 2020 and August 2021.

He had 41 photographs on messaging platform WhatsApp - seven category A images, 12 category B pictures and 22 in category C.

Prosecutors said there were two moving images of a young child, possibly aged between seven and nine years old.

The court heard that Edwards had been involved in an online chat with a man on WhatsApp between December 2020 and April 2022.

The man sent Edwards 377 sexual images, of which 41 were indecent images of children.

The final image, sent in August 2021, was a category A film featuring a young boy.

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The man asked whether those featured in the images were too young.

Edwards responded by telling him not to send anything illegal, the court heard.

Defending Edwards, lawyer Philip Evans KC said there was no suggestion his client had made or created any of the images.

What does 'making' images mean?

According to the CPS, the term "making" can include opening, accessing, downloading and storing the content, or receiving an image via social media, even if unsolicited and even if part of a group.

Category A images are the most serious and include penetrative sexual activity and sexual activity with an animal or sadism, while category B images involve non-penetrative sexual activity.

Category C means the images do not fall into categories A or B and do not depict any sexual activity.

'No charges' when Edwards resigned

After the plea hearing, the BBC confirmed in a statement that it had been made aware "in confidence" of Edwards's arrest.

"In November 2023, whilst Mr Edwards was suspended, the BBC as his employer at the time was made aware in confidence that he had been arrested on suspicion of serious offences and released on bail whilst the police continued their investigation. At the time, no charges had been brought against Mr Edwards and the BBC had also been made aware of significant risk to his health," a spokesperson said.

"Today we have learnt of the conclusion of the police process in the details as presented to the court. If at any point during the period Mr Edwards was employed by the BBC he had been charged, the BBC had determined it would act immediately to dismiss him. In the end, at the point of charge he was no longer an employee of the BBC.

"During this period, in the usual way, the BBC has kept its corporate management of these issues separate from its independent editorial functions."

Edwards is due to appear in court on 16 September.