Westminster honey trap scandal: Man contacts police over stolen photos

LONDON — A man in his late 20s has contacted the police to say photos of him were stolen for use without his permission in the Westminster honey trap scandal.

The man, who is being kept anonymous to protect his privacy, made the move after POLITICO confirmed four images from his Facebook account had been used as profile pictures by someone calling themselves “Charlie.”

POLITICO revealed last week that “Charlie” targeted MPs, staffers and journalists in Westminster with unsolicited WhatsApp messages that, in several cases, escalated to the sender sending explicit images. At least two police forces are investigating, in London and Leicestershire.

To date, POLITICO has verified directly that at least 21 people in U.K. politics were sent unsolicited WhatsApp messages by one or both of two phone numbers, which alternatively used the names “Charlie” or “Abi.” All victims verified by POLITICO are men, mostly aged between their late 20s and early 40s. They are a mixture of straight and gay. Among them are Labour and Tory MPs, including a serving minister in the U.K. government.

Three photos of the man were used for a profile on the gay dating app Grindr used to contact attendees at the Lib Dem conference in September 2023. One of these attendees later obtained the sender’s phone number, confirming it was the same “Charlie” who contacted people in Westminster.

A fourth photo of the man was used by “Charlie” as his profile picture on WhatsApp.

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: “Officers from the Met’s Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command are carrying out an investigation following reports that a number of unsolicited messages were sent to MPs over recent months.” | Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images

When POLITICO contacted the man, who does not work in politics, he was shocked to learn his images had been used in this way. He later reported what had happened to parliamentary security and the police. His Facebook account was public and his pictures were visible at the time he was contacted.

A Parliamentary spokesperson said: “Parliament takes security extremely seriously and works closely with government and the police in response to such incidents. We provide Members and staff with tailored advice, making them aware of security risks and how to manage their digital safety.” The man was referred to parliament’s police team.

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: “Officers from the Met’s Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command are carrying out an investigation following reports that a number of unsolicited messages were sent to MPs over recent months.

“We are working closely with other forces and are in contact with colleagues in parliamentary security, who are providing support and advice around anyone affected.”