A former member of the Labour party is facing charges related to an alleged scheme targeting Members of Parliament. Oliver Steadman, aged 28, has been accused of blackmail for allegedly demanding the contact details of 12 individuals from a single victim. It is claimed that he used WhatsApp to send messages to five individuals within Westminster circles, according to the police.

Numerous people, including MPs from both the Conservative and Labour parties, reportedly received flirtatious messages from someone identifying as “Charlie” or “Abi.” Following the exchange of explicit photos, at least two MPs were said to have reciprocated in a similar manner at that time.

Steadman is confronting five charges related to communication offenses, as disclosed by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Malcolm McHaffie, the head of CPS’s Special Crime Division, stated that Steadman will be prosecuted for blackmail and five communication offenses involving five victims associated with politics and Westminster.

The CPS’s decision to proceed with charges follows an inquiry by the Metropolitan Police Service into messages containing alleged unsolicited indecent images sent to individuals within political circles between October 2023 and April 2024 using WhatsApp.

Steadman is scheduled to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court for an initial hearing on Monday, November 3, 2025. He resigned from his position as a Labour councillor on Islington Council in North London in June of the previous year and is currently suspended by the party.

Arrested in June of the same year, Steadman has been on bail since then. He is now remanded to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday, November 3. The affected individuals are continuing to receive support and guidance from the authorities.