Man arrested in connection with Westminster 'honey trap' scandal

A Labor Party member has been arrested in connection with the “honey trap” scandal that rocked Westminster.

The man, aged in his 20s, was arrested on Wednesday morning at an address in Islington, the Metropolitan Police said.

Law enforcement informed several victims that he had been arrested on suspicion of breaches of the Online Safety Act and harassment. The Labor Party reportedly suspended him after being informed of his arrest.

Earlier this year, a leading MP, William Wragg, was suspended by the Conservatives over his role in the scandal.

He admitted giving his colleagues' phone numbers to the scammer after sharing explicit images of himself as they began talking on a dating app.

Wragg told the Times he was “scared” because the man had compromising information about him.

In April, the Met launched an investigation after “unsolicited messages” were sent to a number of MPs, staff and political journalists working at Westminster.

This information came after Politico reported that political figures had received unsolicited messages from someone using two unknown numbers calling themselves “Abi” or “Charlie.”

The messages would include details about the careers and campaigns of lawmakers and staffers they had worked on to build relationships with victims. They would then descend into sexually explicit messages, with “Abi” or “Charlie” sending graphic images to victims and asking for nude photographs in return.

It appears that two of the targeted individuals responded by sending an explicit image of themselves, with the attack described as a spear phishing attempt. Spear phishing involves scammers posing as trusted senders in order to steal personal or sensitive information.

Other high-profile figures targeted by the honey trap included Conservative MP Dr Luke Evans, who said he received unsolicited explicit images and messages on WhatsApp. It is estimated that at least 12 men from political circles received these unsolicited messages.

In a statement, the Met said: “Police executed a warrant at an address in Islington.

“A man has been arrested on suspicion of harassment and committing offenses under the Online Safety Act. He was taken into police custody where he remains.

“The arrest follows an investigation by the Met’s Parliamentary Liaison and Investigation Team following reports of unsolicited messages being sent to MPs and others.

“The case is still ongoing.” The investigation saw officers question everyone who received messages from the scammer, including Labor and Conservative MPs.