William Wragg: Ex-Tory MP feels 'enormous guilt' over Westminster honeytrap scandal
A former Conservative Member of Parliament expressed that he experienced significant remorse upon discovering that he had fallen victim to a honeytrap scheme in Westminster.
In April, William Wragg stepped down from the parliamentary party after acknowledging that he had shared the phone numbers of other politicians with the individual believed to be behind the sexting scandal.
He mentioned that he felt unsafe and stressed by the "catfish" following the exchange of explicit images with them.
Mr. Wragg shared his personal information with someone he believed to be a genuine person on a dating app, worried that private photos of him might be exposed.
The ex-Conservative party whip mentioned that he first came across reports about the scandal while traveling on a train.
The 36-year-old shared with the BBC, "I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach."
"When I learned about what had been happening, I was overwhelmed with a deep sense of guilt and regret."
After the previous Hazel Grove member of parliament shared personal details, the impersonator asked Mr. Wragg to confirm their identity to new targets. The impersonator then informed these new victims that they had previously worked as a researcher for Mr. Wragg.
Mr. Wragg concurred, stating that this is what he regrets the most, as it was "dishonest."
Following what he claimed was an incident of blackmail, Mr. Wragg began experiencing panic attacks. His outbursts of shouting, crying, and cursing startled his flatmates who were trying to sleep.
Authorities are looking into the scandal involving at least 12 individuals associated with Westminster, who are thought to have received unsolicited communications from the pseudonyms "Charlie" and "Abi."
The counterfeit accounts were reportedly involved in a scheme aimed at convincing MPs and other political figures to share explicit photos and other personal or sensitive details.
Unlike others who were contacted by the catfish accounts, Mr. Wragg took the initiative to reach out to "Charlie" himself after seeing the profile on the gay dating app Grindr.
He believed the profile belonged to a genuine person before sending explicit photos to the impersonator.
When the scandal came to light, Mr. Wragg found the embarrassment and disgrace overwhelming.
He described how photographers and journalists were stationed outside his parents' home, a place he turned to when he started experiencing suicidal thoughts.
Not long after getting medical care, he went back to Westminster to step down as Conservative whip and to resign from his roles on two parliamentary committees.
He had previously stated that he would not be participating in the upcoming general election.
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In June, a young man in his mid-20s who belonged to the Labour Party was arrested in Islington, located in north London, on the grounds of suspicion related to harassment and violations of the Online Safety Act.
He has been released after posting bail.
If you're experiencing emotional pain or having thoughts of suicide, you can reach out to Samaritans for support by calling 116 123 or sending an email to [email protected] in the UK.
