Huw Edwards’ offences highlight how WhatsApp can be abused by predators sharing criminal imagery of children, IWF warns

Published:  Fri 20 Sep 2024

Dan Sexton, Chief Technology Officer at the IWF, appeared on national BBC Breakfast television this week (September 17) to warn Meta is not taking adequate steps to proactively prevent the sharing of child sexual abuse material on the platform.

It came as disgraced BBC news presenter Huw Edwards was handed a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two years after he admitted receiving some of the most extreme (Category A) child sexual abuse imagery from a convicted paedophile via WhatsApp.

Mr Sexton said: “What are they doing to make their platform safe and prevent this from happening to other children in the future?”.

Watch the BBC video clip here: 

Clip provided by BBC.

New partnership aims to boost early detection of online grooming and child sexual abuse material

New partnership aims to boost early detection of online grooming and child sexual abuse material

Behavioural detection technology company Tuteliq has joined the fight to stop child sexual abuse online by joining the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) as a Member.

17 July 2026 News
New guidance for parents and carers as AI-manipulated images of children become a growing concern

New guidance for parents and carers as AI-manipulated images of children become a growing concern

With AI-generated sexual abuse imagery increasing every year, the IWF and NCA call on families to understand the risks of sharing children's photos online.

3 July 2026 News
KIDZONET joins the Internet Watch Foundation to strengthen child protection across digital networks

KIDZONET joins the Internet Watch Foundation to strengthen child protection across digital networks

By working with the IWF, KIDZONET is reinforcing its commitment to disrupting the spread of child sexual abuse material online.

29 June 2026 News