Before we go, here's a look at today's developments:

• BBC director general Tim Davie has defended the decision not to sack Huw Edwards, despite knowing the presenter had been arrested in November
• Davie tells BBC News the corporation "knew no specifics, apart from the category of the potential offences"
• The organisation faces mounting pressure over its handling of the situation, with Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy is due to meet Davie
• Prime Minister Keir Starmer was asked about the case earlier at a news conference about the aftermath of the Southport killings. Starmer said he was "shocked and appalled" at Edwards' crimes
• Meanwhile, a BBC employee who gave evidence to the internal inquiry into Huw Edwards has said they are “disappointed” about how the case was handled. The staff member said they did not feel reassured that BBC management have taken steps to deal with internal complaints

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When the charges Huw Edwards was facing came to light earlier this week, Davie said: "We were very shocked. No-one knew about the specifics of what we heard over the last few days, which have been deeply disturbing."

He also reiterated that the BBC did not make the potential charges public at the request of the police, adding the corporation also had to consider their duty of care.

"When it comes to the decision we made in November, we were obviously faced with a difficult decision, and we considered it very carefully," Davie said.

"The police came to us and gave us information that they had arrested Mr Edwards. But they wanted to be assured of total confidence, and the reason they rung us at that point, it’s a technical process to ensure employees are protected and there’s no risk."

He added: "Another factor at this point was very significant duty of care considerations. I think it was right for us to say we’d let the police do their business, and then when charges happen, we will act."

Here's some more from that interview with the BBC director general.

Tim Davie said he could "categorically" confirm that the BBC was "not sitting on anything that I think we need to share with the police, or is of a serious nature that would make me feel that we hadn't followed up properly".

He continued: "I can categorically say that when it comes to the offences we've seen, which are truly horrendous, any evidence that is out there is not in the hands of the BBC.

"If I saw evidence of that, that is not a complicated decision."

Steve McIntosh
Culture reporter

The BBC director general has defended the decision not to sack Huw Edwards, despite knowing that the presenter had been arrested in November over the most serious category of indecent images of children.

In an interview with BBC News on Thursday, Tim Davie said the corporation had taken "difficult decisions in a fair and judicious manner".

Asked about how much the BBC was told in November, he said: "We knew it was serious, we knew no specifics, apart from the category of the potential offences."

BBC bosses were not aware of the ages of the children in the images.

Asked about whether Edwards would still receive his pension, Davie said it was "very difficult to claw back, nigh on impossible", adding: "These are unfortunately the specifics of how it works."

"When it comes to pay, again, legally challenging, but we’ll look at all options."

Edwards, formerly the BBC's most high-profile newsreader, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to three counts of making indecent images of children.

Lucy Manning
Special correspondent

Image source, Handout

Meanwhile, a second whistleblower, who has since left the BBC, said Edwards was "pushy" in trying to arrange to meet them.

Referring to the messages at the time of Prince Philip's funeral - which they first revealed to the Sun, but have also shared with the BBC - they said Edwards asked if they were staying overnight.

In the morning, the whistleblower claimed Edwards sent a photograph of the room he had stayed in – a suite paid for by the BBC.

"(The message) went, oh there’s plenty of room here...

"…he replied in the morning and said, you missed a good night."

On the BBC investigation, the employee said they "gave everything and co-operated", and want the findings to be published.

They said: "It doesn’t seem transparent, it seems like things have been swept under the carpet, they’ve marked their own homework."

Lucy Manning
Special correspondent

A BBC employee who gave evidence to the internal inquiry into Huw Edwards has said they are “disappointed” about the way it was handled.

Last year, the staff member told the BBC they had been sent flirtatious private messages by the presenter which made them feel uncomfortable, and which they considered were an abuse of power.

Edwards was suspended in July 2023 after reports in the Sun newspaper claiming he had paid a young person for sexually explicit images.

The BBC started an internal inquiry last summer, which resumed after police said they found no evidence of criminal behaviour in relation to the newspaper allegations.

The findings have not yet been published and the BBC has been approached for comment.

The staff member said they did not feel reassured that BBC management have taken steps to deal with internal complaints or issues with power dynamics in the newsroom.

They said the whistleblowing team asked "all the questions they hoped they would" and were taking it seriously.

"Then I was sort of surprised that I haven’t been informed about the findings or how the report was used," they said.

"I certainly don't feel like I've heard anything of substance about how the investigation went. In a way that's disappointing because it was quite a stressful thing to go through. It was all a big ordeal."

The staff member came forward after emails were sent out encouraging people to do so, saying "it felt like we had an obligation to report it".

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has just been asked about the Huw Edwards case in a news conference about the aftermath of the Southport killings.

In a brief answer, Starmer says: "I'm shocked and appalled, as I'm sure everybody is in relation to this."

He says Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy is speaking to BBC director general Tim Davie - we hope to bring you details of that meeting soon.

Malu Cursino
Live reporter

I've been speaking to Richard Collard, head of child safety online at the NSPCC.

He tells me that encrypted messaging platforms are "the favourite place for perpetrators" behind child sex abuse images.

"They know only themselves and the people receiving the message will view that content. There is a sense of safety," Collard says.

But the NSPCC child safety online expert reminds us: "This is not a victimless crime - behind every image is a real child that has often been groomed into sharing these images."

Collard explains that the "constant sharing and resharing" means children are "re-victimised", leaving "a very severe impact".

Anxiety, self-harm, eating disorders - and suicide in some extreme cases - are among the many impacts on victims.

In the past five years, the NSPCC says there has been an 82% rise in online grooming crimes against children.

According to the NSPCC's Freedom of Information request from 35 police forces in the UK, there were more than 33,000 offences where child abuse images were collected and distributed in 2022/23.

The charity, and other organisations, urge anyone who becomes aware they have been sent something "that they even suspect is child abuse" ought to report it to the police.

Sima Kotecha
Senior UK correspondent

Why was the BBC told about Huw Edwards’ arrest in November?

One senior police officer told me it’s not usual or routine practice for the police to contact employers when one of their staff is arrested - unless they, the employer, is involved in evidence gathering of the alleged offence.

Clearly, in this case the BBC wasn’t - as Edwards’ activities were something in his private life.

But what arguably makes this different is the BBC as a high profile public body and the suspect a very high profile employee.

It could be for this reason that senior investigating officers thought it was important to notify the BBC about the arrest in November.

'An arrest is not sufficient to conclude an offence has been committed'published at 14:46 British Summer Time 1 August

14:46 BST 1 August

Sima Kotecha
Senior UK correspondent

An employment law specialist says it could have been an expensive legal mistake for the BBC to have sacked Huw Edwards in November - when he was arrested, but before the investigation was complete.

Dawn Robertson from BTO Solicitors says: "The mere fact that an employee has been arrested is not sufficient on its own for the employer to conclude that the offence has been committed.

"Accordingly, an employer will have to think long and hard before determining whether there are grounds for dismissing before any criminal trial takes place."

She said the same argument could apply once a suspect has been charged, under the fundamental principle of British justice that people are innocent until proven guilty.

Being charged with a crime suggests there is some evidence of criminality. But the person could still be found not guilty - "leaving the employer in a position of acting unfairly and it might be pursued for unfair dismissal in an employment tribunal".

Though the optics of this case are bad - Edwards suspended on full pay and given a pay rise during that time - the HR and legal difficulties are clear.

The prospect of getting it wrong and being sued for unfair dismissal by one of its biggest stars might have outweighed the public anger that the BBC was "soft" on Edwards.

Why didn't the BBC sack Edwards in November?published at 14:26 British Summer Time 1 August

14:26 BST 1 August

Sima Kotecha
Senior UK correspondent

The BBC is under fire, with some critics asking why Huw Edwards wasn’t sacked once the BBC knew about his arrest in November.

He was one of the organisation's biggest paid stars - and some licence fee payers are furious that their money went towards paying Edwards’ salary while he was being investigated by for making indecent images of children.

One possible position taken by the BBC is that some people are arrested, but never charged.

This could have put the BBC in a difficult position - sacking a member of staff on suspicion of an offence which could have turned out to be false.

Andrew Taylor is a criminal barrister based in Cardiff. He tells our colleagues on BBC Radio 2: "Not everyone who is investigated let alone arrested by the police is necessarily guilty.

"Cases like this involving downloads take months and months occasionally to investigate properly."

He says if Edwards was unwell, it may have been very difficult for the BBC to ask about the investigation at the point of his arrest.

"As you know, people who suffer from profound mental health issues are very difficult to bring before an employer and say ‘well we want to question you’, Taylor says.

"If a person is in that dark state and is in danger of doing something very very serious, then it becomes very very difficult."

We've just heard from a BBC source about why it didn't publicise details of Huw Edwards' arrest for child abuse image offences in November 2023. As a reminder, here are some key dates in the case:

7 July 2023

• The Sun publishes an exclusive story about an unnamed broadcaster paying someone tens of thousands of pounds for explicit photos over three years. Their communication began when the person was 17

9 July 2023

• The BBC announces a male presenter has been suspended

12 July 2023

• Vicky Flind, Huw Edwards' wife, issues a statement revealing him as the broadcaster

8 November 2023

• Edwards is arrested on child abuse image offences - but this does not become public knowledge. A BBC source says the police told the BBC not to share the information

22 April 2024

• Huw Edwards resigns from the BBC on "medical advice"

26 June 2024

• Edwards is charged - but this was not made public

29 July, 2024

• After the media sees court listings, the Metropolitan Police announces that Edwards has been charged with three counts of making indecent images of children between December 2020 and April 2022

31 July 2024

• Edwards pleads guilty at Westminster Magistrates Court to three counts of making indecent images of children

We've just had this from a BBC source about the arrest of Huw Edwards in November 2023.

"The information was given in strict confidence by the police and was not to be shared."

As our culture editor Katie Razzall just reported, one of the questions facing the BBC is why Huw Edwards was paid his full salary between being arrested in November, and leaving the BBC in April.

Edwards was paid between £475,000 and £479,999 for the year 2023/24, according to the BBC's latest annual report.

That was around a £40,000 pay rise from 2022/23, when he was paid between £435,000 and £439,999.

Image source, Reuters

Katie Razzall
Culture editor

Huw Edwards, the man who was once the most trusted and most recognisable face of BBC journalism, has pleaded guilty over images that show child sexual abuse - and the BBC has serious questions to answer.

The BBC's director general Tim Davie faces some stark and uncomfortable truths.

Most difficult to explain is why the BBC continued to pay Huw Edwards his vast salary for five months after he had been arrested. Edwards resigned in April citing medical advice.

The BBC said in its statement that if Edwards had been charged, it would have acted.

But for many, his guilty pleas on Wednesday make it difficult to justify those months paying out a total of more than £200,000 of public money to the now former presenter of News at Ten and the lead presenter on so many landmark moments for the nation.

At the time of his arrest, Edwards had already been off air since July 2023, after the Sun newspaper had published claims he had paid a young person for sexually explicit images. Police found no evidence of criminal behaviour in relation to this and the current court case is unrelated.

Image source, PA Media

As we've mentioned, BBC News was not aware of the arrest nor charges against Huw Edwards until they were made public on Monday. BBC News is editorially independent when reporting on the BBC.

With stories like this one, BBC News journalists treat the BBC in the same way as any other organisation the news service reports on.

And like with any other organisation, BBC News has to ask BBC management or BBC services for responses and contact the BBC press office for official statements.

Occasionally BBC journalists approach senior managers for unplanned interviews - known as "doorsteps" in the news business.

They also sometimes get offered interviews with management - like this one.

And when this happens, they know they'll be scrutinised within and outside the BBC over how well they hold their boss to account.

Steven McIntosh
Entertainment reporter

Huw Edwards was one of the most familiar and respected faces on British TV, but is now in disgrace after pleading guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children.

The former BBC News presenter's admission at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday came three months after the former anchor resigned from the BBC on "medical advice".

His guilty plea marks the end of a career in broadcasting which has spanned more than 40 years.

He was known for his calm delivery of major news stories and was trusted by viewers.

Until last year, Edwards had been the BBC's first choice to front coverage of major national events, including the 2019 general election and the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.

Professor Tim Luckhurst, a former BBC executive, said there had been "the revelation of a dark side", which had been "extremely well hidden".

"We've seen the downfall of a national figure, and we must recognise that dark side has been responsible for his fall."

Nandy meeting another sign of pressure on BBCpublished at 11:48 British Summer Time 1 August

11:48 BST 1 August

Katie Razzall
Culture editor

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy calling an urgent meeting with the director general is yet another sign of the pressure on the corporation over its handling of the situation.

One of the questions the government wants answering is about the use of taxpayers’ money in this way, as well as when decisions were taken and by whom.

Why didn’t the BBC sack Edwards, in light of his arrest, instead of giving him the space to leave, apparently on his own terms, albeit with no pay off?

In the end, this was a judgement call for the people at the very top of the BBC and the optics are reputationally damaging. The BBC spent public money on a man now guilty of serious offences.

There is an added dimension to the story. Did the corporation also have a duty to its audiences to inform the public about the arrest, rather than sit on the information?

This too is complex, especially when it concerns an employee struggling with his mental health. People who are arrested do have an expectation of a right to privacy. In certain cases, privacy can be outweighed by arguments around what’s in the public interest.

It’s important to note that BBC News, where I’m employed, is editorially independent from the corporate side. We didn’t know about the arrest or charges until earlier this week when the story broke.

Image source, EPA

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy and BBC director general Tim Davie are expected to speak by phone today to discuss the organisation's handling of the Huw Edwards case.

It comes after it emerged yesterday evening that the BBC was told Edwards was under suspicion of child abuse image offences.

The BBC had said it knew Edwards had been arrested on suspicion of serious offences in November - something only made public this week - without detailing what the offences were.

The corporation faces questions over why it did not sack Edwards when it knew of the arrest and why it continued to pay Edwards his salary for a further five months.

Edwards resigned from the BBC in April citing medical advice. He had not been on air since July 2023, when he was named as the man at the centre of a separate case involving explicit images of a young person.

Joe Pike
Investigations correspondent

The BBC was told Huw Edwards was under suspicion of child abuse image offences in November 2023.

The corporation’s statement on Wednesday afternoon only referred to the organisation being told of “serious offences”.

But the BBC has now confirmed the Met informed them its investigation concerned child abuse images.