Oliver Steadman pleaded not guilty to blackmailing former Conservative MP William Wragg in an alleged Westminster honeytrap plot, according to multiple reports. He is charged with one count of blackmail and five allegations of improper use of a public electronic communications network. The prosecution alleges the charges relate to Steadman being behind a series of flirty messages and explicit images sent to MPs and Westminster figures.
The case connects to William Wragg, who resigned the Tory whip in April 2024 and stood down from Parliament at the subsequent general election after admitting giving out politicians' phone numbers to someone he met on Grindr, multiple reports indicate. The prosecution accuses Steadman of being the person who was in contact with William Wragg. It is alleged that between February 1 and March 31, 2024, Steadman made unwarranted demands for contact telephone numbers of up to 12 individuals from William Wragg with menaces, according to the prosecution. How Wragg's actions precisely relate to the alleged blackmail demands remains unclear.
In court proceedings, Judge Tony Baumgartner adjourned the case for a three-week trial starting on October 4, 2027, multiple reports state. Steadman will remain on unconditional bail until his trial, according to those reports. A further pre-trial hearing is due to take place on October 12, 2026, multiple reports indicate.
According to major media, Steadman did not enter pleas on Wednesday to charges of sending menacing messages to William Wragg and sending indecent images to Ben Everitt, Luke Evans, Ross Thomson, and Ben Proctor. The specific evidence supporting the allegations against Steadman has not been disclosed, and the motive behind the alleged honeytrap plot is unknown.
In background, Steadman previously represented Labour as a councillor in Islington, multiple reports note. Major media reports that Steadman was working for the mental health charity Mind. Who the other MPs or Westminster figures targeted beyond those named are, and the details of the improper use of electronic communications network charges, have not been specified.