Man charged with sending malicious communications to Labour's Jess Phillips
6 January 2025, 17:03 | Updated: 6 January 2025, 17:39
A man has been charged with sending malicious communications to the Home Office Minister Jess Phillips and two others.
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Devon and Cornwall police told LBC that the charges relate to messages allegedly sent to three people between April last year, and this month.
The police confirmed the messages sent to Ms Phillips were sent in January 2025.
It comes after the Prime Minister suggested that threats against the minister had occurred since Elon Musk called her a “rape genocide apologist" on social media.
Sir Keir said: "When the poison of the far right leads to serious threats to Jess Phillips and others, that in my book [means] a line has been crossed."
Read more: Keir Starmer slams 'desperate' Elon Musk for spreading 'lies' and 'whipping up intimidation'
Jack Bennett, aged 39, has been charged with three counts of malicious communications and has been bailed to appear before Exeter Magistrates’ Court on 18th February 2025.
The Home Office declined to comment.
Phillips said she recognised the "strength of feeling" for a Home Office-led inquiry into grooming gangs but the Government will not "intervene", in a letter to Oldham Council.
Speaking out on the matter, Jess Phillips, the government's Safeguarding minister, said: "I believe it is for Oldham Council alone to decide to commission an inquiry into child sexual exploitation locally, rather than for the Government to intervene," she said.
Leader of the Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, appeared to back Musk by calling for a national inquiry into the UK's "rape gangs scandal".Badenoch, writing on X, argued that a public inquiry into organised grooming gangs is "long overdue".
In her post, Mrs Badenoch wrote: "The time is long overdue for a full national inquiry into the rape gangs scandal.
"Trials have taken place all over the country in recent years but no one in authority has joined the dots. 2025 must be the year that the victims start to get justice."
