SLEAZY MP Simon Danczuk has been suspended by the Labour Party after he bombarded
a 17-year-old girl with a string of vile sex messages.
Danczuk, 49, who has campaigned against child abuse, targeted Sophena Houlihan
after she asked for a job. His lover saw the messages then dumped him.
The MP asked the 17-year-old if she wanted a “spanking”. He also told
performing arts student Sophena Houlihan how “horny” he was in a string of
lewd texts.
Last night Sophena, who had initially contacted Danczuk about a job in his
constituency office, said: “When I first got in touch I never expected the
messages to get so graphic.
“At the time I played along with it, but now I feel like he duped me.
“I was keen for a career in politics and he is a very high-profile MP and I
was in awe of him.”
The Labour member for Rochdale — who spearheaded a campaign to expose his
predecessor Sir Cyril Smith as a paedophile — was first contacted by Sophena
in July via Facebook.
He had recently split from his selfie-loving wife Karen — and the messages
soon turned explicit. Sophena says they also continued after his
relationship with Claire went public.
The teenager admits, “I enjoyed the attention”, adding, “There is something
about him that I was attracted to.”
Sophena, who lives with her mum, had initially enquired about a job as a case
worker in his office. After exchanging messages for nearly a month, Simon
asked how old she was.
When Sophena said, “17” Danczuk said, “Good for you”.
Ten days later he invited her to his constituency office to have a “straight
conversation” about “sorting her out”.
Sophena recalled: “When we started messaging it was like he wanted to be
friends with me — or genuinely wanted to help. But surely he can’t help
everyone who asks him? I did wonder if there was more to it.
“When he asked me to meet him I was really nervous so I ended up backing out.
“Then a few days later I posted a picture on Instagram of me wearing a dress —
and he sent me a message saying I looked great. That’s when the messages
started to get more and more flirty. We were sending messages back and forth
about three times a week.
“Then in September when he was out in Spain they got even more explicit.”
On September 19, days before the Labour Party conference, Danczuk told Sophena
they should “meet up”.
Asked if he was serious, he replied: “I’m always serious! I rarely do
non-serious! Let’s meet up when you’re ready.”
The next day he asked her for a picture and she sent him one of her wearing a
revealing white body suit.
Danczuk said: “Why aren’t you here in Spain wearing that costume?! Lol.”
When the teenager joked it would “look better on your bedroom floor”, he
replied: “God help me.”
Danczuk, who was handed the Campaigning MP of the Year award after outing
paedo Cyril Smith in Parliament, then said he would “get in trouble” if he
said the wrong thing.
But he later messaged: “I appreciate your directness! Always better to be
straight & honest, is my motto.”
Sending an emoji blowing a kiss, Danczuk added: “Let’s meet up when you’re
ready.”
By now Sophena admitted she was “attracted” to the MP and told him she
imagined kissing him.
Sophena said: “I could not believe what I was seeing when he first sent me a
naughty message. I was shocked.
“He’s an MP and shouldn’t be behaving like that. He also had only just split
up from Karen — and then he started dating Claire.
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“But there is something about him that I was attracted to. I did find it very
strange.
“I enjoyed the attention but I was weirded out when he asked me to go to Spain
— I thought it was too much too soon.”
Over more sexually charged messages, Danczuk told Sophena he was “horny” and
she was “distracting” him from writing a book.
When the conversation turned serious, Simon said: “Right, let’s get back to
the sex then.”
He later said she was “cheeky” and asked if she wanted him to “spank” her.
After more filthy messages Simon suggested meeting so they could “get to know
each other”. He then said she should “join the Labour Party” and asked if
she would attend the Brighton conference.
The meeting never happened – and days later Simon’s new relationship with
councillor Claire, 32, was made public.
Sophena said: “When it became clear he was in a relationship with Claire I
unfollowed him and then he sent me a message saying, ‘Why have you
unfollowed me?’ ”
She went on: “I was gutted really. I asked him about it and he said it was
just the media. But then he said I had cheered him up during a low point
over the summer and we continued to message.”
Sophena, from Rochdale, explained how their online relationship continued but
soon fizzled out.
She said: “It started up again. But then he’d mention Claire and I found it
really weird. At the end of the day he is old enough to be my dad.
“He was pretty open about liking me — but I know it would be frowned upon
among his colleagues. He does do work fighting against child abuse after
all.”
Sophena, who turned 18 at Christmas, added: “I bet he has been messaging loads
of girls.”
Danczuk’s girlfriend Claire, 32, dumped him after seeing some of the texts.
Claire said: “I have no idea how many women he’s been messaging on Twitter. I
would not be surprised if it was a lot.”
Last night it emerged that cops from Rochdale’s specialist sexual abuse unit
had launched an investigation after receiving a complaint from a member of
the public.
Officers contacted Sophena to ensure she was not being “harassed” by Danczuk.
A source close to Danczuk said last night: “They are two consenting adults.
Greater Manchester Police were asked to look into this and have concluded
there is no case to answer.”
Danczuk declined to comment.