Former MP describes ‘enormous guilt’ over Westminster honeypot scandal

Former MP William Wragg has described the feeling of “enormous guilt” that washed implicit him arsenic helium realised helium had fallen unfortunate to a blase scam designed to people politicians successful Westminster.

A constabulary probe began successful April earlier this twelvemonth aft it was suggested astatine slightest 12 men with links to Westminster had received unsolicited messages from the aliases  “Charlie” and “Abi”.

The fake accounts were allegedly engaged successful a blase scam designed to coax MPs and different figures successful governmental circles into sending explicit pictures and different backstage oregon delicate information.

Unlike others who had been approached by the catfish accounts, 36-year-old now-ex-MP William Wragg approached “Charlie” himself aft spotting the illustration connected cheery dating app Grindr.

He believed the relationship to beryllium a existent idiosyncratic earlier exchanging explicit photographs with the catfish.

In the days that followed, Mr Wragg claimed helium felt threatened and pressured into sharing’ the telephone numbers and idiosyncratic accusation of his Westminster colleagues to the enigma account.

He feared the catfish would leak his intimate images successful retaliation if helium did not comply.

Speaking to the BBC successful his archetypal broadcast interrogation astir his involvement, Mr Wragg said helium spotted the archetypal quality articles astir the Westminster honeytrap ungraded connected the train.

The erstwhile Conservative Party whip told the broadcaster: “My tummy conscionable dropped.

“When I recovered retired immoderate of the things that had been going on, I conscionable felt tremendous guilt, tremendous remorse.”

After the erstwhile Hazel Grove MP handed implicit the idiosyncratic information, the catfish told Mr Wragg to vouch for its individuality with its adjacent imaginable victims, with the catfish telling its caller targets helium was a erstwhile researcher for Mr Wragg.

Mr Wragg agreed, which is what helium feels  “the astir regret for” arsenic it was “deceitful”.

Not agelong aft helium was allegedly blackmailed, Mr Wragg began to person panic attacks, with bouts of yelling, crying, and swearing shocking his sleeping flatmates.

He told the BBC that portion his housemates were worried, helium could not explicate to them what was going on.

Then, erstwhile the communicative broke, the humiliation and shame became excessively overmuch for him to handle.

He recounted photographers and the property camped extracurricular his parents’ house, which is wherever helium drove arsenic suicidal thoughts began to acceptable in.

Shortly aft receiving the due aesculapian attention, helium returned to Westminster to resign arsenic Conservative whip and from his posts connected 2 parliamentary committees.

He had already announced helium would not tally successful the adjacent wide election.

Asked by BBC newsman Joe Pike however helium feels, 7 months connected from the ungraded that ended his vocation successful politics, Mr Wragg said:  “I person nary bitterness oregon choler near successful maine due to the fact that I felt truthful wretched and atrocious successful myself.”

He added: “It’s a root of large shame that my clip successful Parliament ended successful this way.”

On his last time arsenic an MP,  helium said helium had a consult with a psychologist, which helium thought to beryllium a fitting extremity for his nine-year tenure astatine Commons.

He past added a grim information astir the pressures of beingness wrong the walls of Westminster: “They person 2 intelligence wellness beds disposable astatine immoderate 1 clip for members of Parliament,” helium said.

“It’s astonishing however often they’re occupied.”

In June, a subordinate of the Labour Party aged successful his mid-20s was apprehended successful Islington, northbound London, connected suspicion of harassment and offences nether the Online Safety Act.

He has since been released connected bail.

– If you oregon idiosyncratic you cognize is struggling with their intelligence health, the Samaritans tin beryllium contacted connected 116 123 oregon email jo@samaritans.org.