Oliver Steadman, a 28-year-old former Labour councillor, has been charged with blackmail and communications offences in connection with the Westminster 'honeytrap' scandal, Scotland Yard and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) have announced.
Steadman faces one count of blackmail and one count of improper use of a public communications network relating to one victim, as well as four further counts of improper use of a public electronic communications network for allegedly sending unsolicited indecent images to four other victims.
The scandal emerged last year when Tory MP William Wragg admitted to sharing personal phone numbers of fellow MPs with a man he met on the Grindr dating app. Wragg later resigned the Conservative whip and did not contest his seat at the general election.
Victims reported receiving WhatsApp messages from individuals calling themselves 'Charlie' or 'Abi', who would later request explicit images. The messages often referenced specific bars at party conferences or roles on past leadership campaigns, exploiting hazy memories from social events.
Steadman, who was involved in Labour's general election campaign and served as a councillor in Islington, was arrested last June on suspicion of harassment and offences under the Online Safety Act. The CPS stated the offences relate to five victims and occurred between October 2023 and April 2024.
Malcolm McHaffie, head of the CPS special crime division, said: 'We have decided to prosecute Oliver Steadman with blackmail and five communications offences in relation to a total of five victims working within politics and Westminster.' Steadman is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 3 November 2025.
