Huw Edwards arrives at court this morning

callistemom I think you misunderstood me I was quoting someone else saying it was a mental illness I totally agree with you it’s not a mental illness it’s a choice We have no choice about depression or anxiety but he had a choice about his actions …..mental illness is a big excused

averline
Making" indecent images can have a wide legal definition, and covers more than simply taking or filming the original picture or clip.The Crown Prosecution Service says, external it can include opening an email attachment containing an image; downloading an image from a website to a screen; storing an image on a computer; accessing a pornographic website in which an images appears in an automatic "pop-up" window; receiving an image via social media, even if unsolicited and even if part of a group; or live-streaming images of children

Mental illness does not mean only depression and anxiety,
do we speak of physical illness ?

Yes I agree urms he is, with the outward covering of being a loving family man. how many more are amongst us?
If paedophilia is a mental illness how come very very few women are ever accused of it I ve just heard a judge on the radio say that in all his years he’s never had a woman before him. so are there no mentally ill women !!!!

I read that he didn't create the images found on his PC but was sent them by another person. Why plead guilty to making the images rather than storing them?

Urmstongran

Huw is one dirty bastard.

He certainly is Ug.

Iam64

Rocky road, I don’t believe the bbc produces paedophiles.

TerriBull is correct, sexual abuse of children has been with us from the beginning of time.

Look the list up. There are plenty of them. Rolf Harries, Stuart Hall, Jimmy Saville.

Huw is one dirty bastard.

Rocky road, I don’t believe the bbc produces paedophiles.

TerriBull is correct, sexual abuse of children has been with us from the beginning of time.

Experts on mental illnesses

Anniebach

So many experts here

What’s that supposed to mean? He has pleaded guilty to downloading sexual images of children. We don’t need to be ‘experts’ facts are facts. The BBC are rather good at producing paedophiles . He’s one of a long list. Disgusting man. I hope he’s put in jail for a long time.

I imagine if we went back in time, or examined a vast range of cultures, the abuse of children was always there in many guises. There were many child prostitutes in the Victorian era, so called respectable men availed themselves of such services, they knew what they were doing was wrong, children pimped out to stay alive. It's why men who want to consort that way with children visit certain countries in the Far East. Children can never consent, they're just pawns, in this whole miserable degenerate business. Some of the worst betrayals of children have taken place in religious institutions, boarding schools, children's homes where the youngsters are vulnerable, isolated and silenced by manipulative adults.

Pedophilia (alternatively spelled paedophilia) is a psychiatric disorder in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a primary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children.[1][2]: vii  Although girls typically begin the process of puberty at age 10 or 11, and boys at age 11 or 12,[3] psychiatric diagnostic criteria for pedophilia extend the cut-off point for prepubescence to age 13.[4] People with the disorder are often referred to as pedophiles (or paedophiles).

Would any psychiatrist broadcast his name if he'd sought help?

I don't believe so.

keepingquiet
I was not making excuses, and I wasn't justifying anything. In fact I carefully and explicitly said that I am not remotely excusing his behaviour'.

What help is available to paedophiles who come forward? As I said, I don't know. And how would someone with such a high profile ensure that any help he sought wouldn't end up with his name all over the media?

Galaxy

The thing is there are experts on here, or certainly people with considerable experience in child safeguarding.

And others dealing with the aftermath, making sure justice was done.

Doodledog

pascal30

I really think that this labelling by the press of anyone who does something criminal as having MH issues and using it almost as an excuse is doing a big disservice to people who have a genuine Mental illness and are truly struggling to live normal lives..

I agree. The term 'mental health' is now used so broadly that it seems to mean anything from feeling a bit anxious to having serial killer tendencies.

I don't know enough about paedophilia to know whether it is something that can be helped or not. Is it about sex or power? I don't know, but I understand what Grandma70s meant when she said it might be a drive that can't be ignored, but that doesn't alter the fact that there are victims, and it is up to the adult to seek help or resist temptation.

Seeking help, particularly if you are a big name like HE, would be really difficult, I think. I am not remotely excusing his behaviour - in fact quite the reverse - but what can be done if someone has such a drive and there is no 'cure'? Punishing sexual behaviour doesn't work - in countries where adulterers are stoned to death people still do it, and children under 16 still have sex regardless of the law - but something has to be done to protect minors from sexual predators. I suppose if there were a simple answer then it would have been tried years ago.

No excuses. He could have sought help- maybe he did and it didn't work. Help is available to paedophiles who come forward- we don't get to know about the ones that do because it isn't news, especially with this man being so high profile.
Punishment is not about reform, it is about society deciding what is acceptable/unacceptable behaviour.
All crimes can be justified- there are those who are still claiming Rosemary West was innocent, the same with Lucy Letby.
He has admitted guilt- should he just be sent home with a counsellor in tow? This would protect no one, especially children.
This is an unacceptable crime regardless of the cause. Doing things that are wrong is a part of human behaviour, we will never eradicate serious crimes but we can always stand up and say, this is not acceptable and these children should have justice.

- ask anyone who has worked with men who sexually abuse children and you’ll hear they walk amongst us, don’t have a tail or horns to help us identify the damage they cause.
Years ago, the charming, likable, skilful head teacher are my children’s primary school was arrested. He was accused by two girls from his previous school of indecent assault. The parents split 20-80. 20percent were employed in work that meant this wasn’t their first encounter with a charming sex offender. It was a long tortuous process. Two years later he was charged with offences linked to 8 little girls. Overwhelming evidence.

Charming, likable, intelligent, successful men also act on their sexual attraction to children . Not every one who is sexually attracted to childre/adolescents acts on this.

The thing is there are experts on here, or certainly people with considerable experience in child safeguarding.

Anniebach

So many experts here

What is your point Anniebach/?

pascal30

I really think that this labelling by the press of anyone who does something criminal as having MH issues and using it almost as an excuse is doing a big disservice to people who have a genuine Mental illness and are truly struggling to live normal lives..

I agree. The term 'mental health' is now used so broadly that it seems to mean anything from feeling a bit anxious to having serial killer tendencies.

I don't know enough about paedophilia to know whether it is something that can be helped or not. Is it about sex or power? I don't know, but I understand what Grandma70s meant when she said it might be a drive that can't be ignored, but that doesn't alter the fact that there are victims, and it is up to the adult to seek help or resist temptation.

Seeking help, particularly if you are a big name like HE, would be really difficult, I think. I am not remotely excusing his behaviour - in fact quite the reverse - but what can be done if someone has such a drive and there is no 'cure'? Punishing sexual behaviour doesn't work - in countries where adulterers are stoned to death people still do it, and children under 16 still have sex regardless of the law - but something has to be done to protect minors from sexual predators. I suppose if there were a simple answer then it would have been tried years ago.

So many experts here

national treasure has become national perverted paedophile. Sick man

What is normal?
What causes such deviant behaviour ' nature or nurture?

Some people are intrinsically evil.
Such people are often charming and seemingly lead ordinary lives.
They're not all weird like Fred West.

BlueBelle

Oreo

JaneJudge

surely all abusers are mentally unwell? doesn't it go with the territory?

Depraved or violent or both, urges very likely are from a mentally unwell mind, especially those who actually act on those urges and actively enjoy what they do.
That may explain, but can never excuse.

Oreo I don’t agree at all they have deviations/ preferences which they know are wrong but choose to act on them and thats not mental illness !

I absolutely agree Oreo.. Mental Illness is something else..

Oreo

JaneJudge

surely all abusers are mentally unwell? doesn't it go with the territory?

Depraved or violent or both, urges very likely are from a mentally unwell mind, especially those who actually act on those urges and actively enjoy what they do.
That may explain, but can never excuse.

Oreo I don’t agree at all they have deviations/ preferences which they know are wrong but choose to act on them and thats not mental illness !