UK Police Charge 28-Year-Old With Blackmail After Westminster 'Honeytrap' Messages
British police said a 28year old man was charged with blackmail and other offences on Wednesday, after an investigation prompted by the targeting of a number of lawmakers and others
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Oliver Steadman
LONDON:
A 28-year-old man has been charged with blackmail and additional offences on Wednesday by British police, following an investigation into the 'honeytrap' messaging campaign that targeted numerous lawmakers and parliamentary staff last year.
Oliver Steadman, a North London resident, allegedly sent WhatsApp messages, including unsolicited indecent images, to five individuals working in British politics between October 2023 and April 2024.
In April 2024, a high-ranking member of Britain's then-ruling Conservative Party, William Wragg, confessed to providing personal information of fellow lawmakers to someone he had met online.
Wragg admitted feeling compromised after sharing intimate photographs of himself with this individual.
The incident has heightened concerns about lawmakers' vulnerability to cyberattacks and bribery, particularly following intelligence warnings that Chinese operatives are targeting British officials in sensitive political, defense, and business positions as part of an increasingly complex operation to access classified information.
When Wragg disclosed the situation last April, reports indicated that twelve men, including an active government minister, had been targeted with flirtatious messages and images from individuals identifying themselves as Abi or Charlie.
According to the police statement, Steadman faces one count of blackmail and five counts of improper use of a public electronic communications network. He is scheduled to appear in Westminster Magistrates' Court on November 3.