William Wragg said: “They had dirt on me. They didn't leave me alone'
William Wragg, a Conservative MP, has admitted his involvement in the Westminster sexting scandal after sharing colleagues' phone numbers with a man he met on a gay dating app.
G Mr Wragg, vice-chairman of the 1922 committee, passed on the contact details of Westminster colleagues to a man he met on Grindr, to whom he sent intimate photographs of himself.
The Hazel Grove MP told The Times, which contacted him after speaking to victims who suspected his involvement, that he was “scared” that the man “had information on me”.
These colleagues, including several members of parliament. , members of their staff and a political journalist – messages were later sent from senders with the pseudonyms “Charlie” or “Abi”.
At least 12 men working in and around Parliament, including a sitting minister, have been targeted in an alleged spear-phishing attack amid fears that a hostile state may be responsible.
On Wednesday, Politico reported that that victims received flirtatious messages and in several cases explicit photographs in an attempt to lure them.
The revelation of Mr Wragg's involvement came as police confirmed a booby trap investigation had been launched into the sexting scandal.
Leicestershire Police said they were investigating reports of “malicious messages” after “a number of unwanted messages were sent to a Leicestershire MP last month.”
'I gave them some numbers'
G Mr Wragg, 36, who is openly gay, said: “They had dirt on me. They didn't leave me alone. They asked people. I gave them some numbers, but not all. I told him to stop. He manipulated me and now I hurt other people.
“I chatted with the guy on the app and we exchanged photos. We were supposed to meet for a drink, but that didn't happen. Then he started asking the number of people. I was worried because he had things on me. He gave me a WhatsApp number, which is now not working.
“I hurt people with my weakness. I was scared. I'm upset. I am very sorry that my weakness caused pain to other people.”
Politico reported that the sitting minister received a message from “Charlie” on March 11, alleging that they previously worked in Parliament and had “flirtatious” conversations together. The minister responded before blocking the number.
That same evening, another former MP was contacted by someone under the same pseudonym who sent him a message: “We haven’t spoken for a long time! Miss you in Westminster,” and then later: “I'm single again, so I'm making the most of the gays in Westminster.”
Charlie went on to give the name of the MP they said were working, and the next day sent an explicit photo when the former deputy immediately blocked them.
The Times reported that two MPs responded to “Charlie's” requests for explicit images of themselves in response.
Legislators should stay up to date with updates
Spear phishing is a term that refers to a targeted cyber attack on one or more victims with the goal of getting them to disclose sensitive information.
Assessing the full scope of a spear phishing campaign is complicated by the fact that the fact that the messages appeared during the Easter holidays, when members of parliament are not in parliament.
All MPs and staff received a letter on Thursday evening from Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the House of Commons, encouraging anyone who has received “unsolicited messages” to please contact the Parliamentary Security Team.
Sir Lindsay said: “The Department of Parliamentary Security continues to work closely with government partners to analyze and understand the nature of these reports and any associated security risks. I must stress that at this stage it would be unwise to speculate on their origins.”
He added that parliamentary authorities would keep MPs informed of any developments and pointed them to resources where they could get advice on cybersecurity and safety recommendations. Politico reported that three men have already contacted parliamentary security.
“The number of attacks is very high”
A Parliament spokesman said: “We provide members and staff with tailored advice, informing them of security risks and how to prevent them. manage your digital security. We urge anyone concerned to contact Parliamentary Security.”
Alicia Kearns, chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, said there was “no question” that MPs and their staff needed better cybersecurity training. . She added that she believed a foreign hostile state “or those working on their behalf” could be responsible for the attacks.
She added: “The problem for MPs and our staff is that the barrier to entry is so high that it is low and the volume of attacks is so great – no matter how cybersecurity aware or careful you are, you are too easy to fool and those who carry out these attacks are always ahead of us in creating new attack opportunities on us.”
In November 2022, Wragg announced that he would not stand in the next general election.
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