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.

Survivor voice central to IWF annual report launch discussions in Brussels

Survivor voice central to IWF annual report launch discussions in Brussels

Crucial perspectives from a survivor and a senior analyst at the front line of the fight against child sexual abuse material anchored the EU launch of the Internet Watch Foundation’s 2025 Annual Data & Insights Report.

11 June 2026 News
On-device nudity detection has ‘powerful role to play’ in fight against child sexual abuse online

On-device nudity detection has ‘powerful role to play’ in fight against child sexual abuse online

IWF backs government move requiring tech companies to urgently implement nudity detection and blocking on children’s devices.

8 June 2026 News
IWF partnership strengthens CaseScan’s ability to swiftly detect child sexual abuse content

IWF partnership strengthens CaseScan’s ability to swiftly detect child sexual abuse content

CaseScan, a specialist technology company supporting child protection investigations and digital safety efforts, has joined the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) as a Member.

1 June 2026 News