UK Sexting Scandal: Conservative MP, who shared numbers of his colleagues to man he met on dating app, steps down

In the United Kingdom, a Conservative MP stepped down from his post days after he admitted leaking his colleagues’ contact numbers to a man he met on a dating app as part of a sexting scandal that other parliamentary leaders also fell victim to.

The MP, William Wragg, has resigned as the chairman of the Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee and has also stepped down as the vice-chair of the 1922 Committee of Conservatives.

How did Wragg get embroiled in the honeytrap scandal?

Wragg, who apologised for divulging the phone numbers of his colleagues last week, said that he met a man on a dating app and that the two exchanged explicit images.

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Later, Wragg and the unidentified man agreed to meet over drinks but that plan did not materialise.

The man then started asking for numbers of parliamentary leaders and Wragg, afraid that the person could misuse the pictures he had shared, caved in and shared numbers of his colleagues.

“They would ask for people. I gave them some numbers, not all of them. I told him to stop. He’s manipulated me and now I’ve hurt other people,” the 36-year-old MP for the Greater Manchester constituency of Hazel Grove said.

What is the UK honeytrap scandal?

Wragg is not the only one to be targeted by the individual or group in an apparent “honeytrap” attempt.

Several other MPs, including Bosworth MP Luke Evans and Outwood MP Andrea Jenkyns, received explicit messages on WhatsApp from anonymous accounts.

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While it is not yet known who is behind these messages or what their motive is, senior political leaders suspect foreign involvement in the case.

The victims of the attack were targeted by someone identified as “Charlie.” According to WhatsApp chats accessed by UK-based GB News, “Charlie” approached at least 12 men working in and around the Parliament.

The Westminster “honeytrap” scandal, which has triggered fears of a so-called “spear phishing” campaign, will not be probed by the police.

Downing Street’s warning to MPs

The Prime Minister’s office, Downing Street, has asked Members of Parliament to be cautious while responding to unsolicited messages.

The spokesperson of the prime minister said on Monday, “Anybody who has been targeted illegally should approach relevant authorities. It’s clearly important for anyone in public life to be sceptical of unsolicited communications.'

“There’s a police investigation into this matter specifically but … we take threats to our democracy seriously,” it added.