Oliver Steadman, a 28-year-old former Labour councillor, has been charged with multiple offences including blackmail in connection with the notorious Westminster honeytrap scandal. The Crown Prosecution Service and Scotland Yard have confirmed that Steadman faces communication-related charges involving five victims, including Members of Parliament.
The scandal erupted last year when politicians and journalists began receiving suspicious WhatsApp messages from individuals using aliases like “Charlie” or “Abi.” Among those ensnared was former senior Conservative MP William Wragg, who admitted to engaging with the scammer. Wragg sent explicit images and even shared the phone numbers of other MPs. Conservative MP Luke Evans also confirmed he had been targeted.
Following an investigation by the Metropolitan Police’s parliamentary liaison and investigation team, Steadman was arrested in June 2024. At the time, he was still serving as a Labour councillor and was employed as a campaign manager for the mental health charity Mind.
His identity remained confidential until this week. Steadman is now scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on 3 November.
The charges mark a major development in a case that has rattled political circles and exposed serious vulnerabilities in digital communications among public officials.
