Metro

Weiner bawls in confession (WATCH THE VIDEO)

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What a tear-jerker.

A sniffling, “deeply ashamed” Rep. Anthony Weiner yesterday ‘fessed up to spending the past three years exchanging steamy online messages and sex-fueled phone chats with six women — sending some of his most tawdry sexts after marrying his high-powered wife last year.

But the kinky New York congressman refused to resign his post, even as he admitted to lying to both the public and his wife, Huma Abedin, for more than week over one disgusting crotch shot that he’d sent to a pretty college co-ed.

READ: FULL TRANSCRIPT OF WEINER’S NEWS CONFERENCE

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“The picture was of me, and I sent it,” the weeping Brooklyn-Queens Democrat finally admitted yesterday, after days of insisting that his Twitter account had been hacked — and repeatedly berating the media for doubting him.

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“I have exchanged messages and photos of an explicit nature with about six women over the past three years. For most part, these . . . communications took place before my marriage, though some have sadly took place after.”

But “I’ve never had sex outside my marriage,” the rep bizarrely interjected at one point at the hastily called press conference at the Sheraton Hotel in Midtown.

Asked point-blank whether he’d had “phone sex” with any of his stable of online cuties, he was cagey.

“To be clear, I have never met any of these women or had physical relationships at any time,” Weiner said, adding only after reporters pressed him to clarify: “I never was in the same room as them, I never had any physical relationship whatsoever.”

At least one of his online beauties has indicated that they did have phone sex.

Another of his Internet cuties, a 26-year-old Texas woman, produced sleazy photos he’d sent her, including one that showed his naked, hairless chest — taken in his congressional office.

In the background of the photo are framed pictures of Weiner and his 34-year-old wife hugging, the congressman with former President Bill Clinton, and even one of President Obama.

Abedin, a longtime aide to Hillary Rodham Clinton, was notably absent from the press conference. Weiner admitted to reporters that he had kept her in the dark about his postmarriage shenanigans until yesterday morning.

“This was a very dumb thing for me to do,” he said of his deception.

Usually known for his snarky style, Weiner choked up and had to stop speaking several times as he struggled to compose himself. His voice cracked as he specifically apologized “for the pain this has caused Huma.”

“I have made terrible mistakes that have hurt the people I care about the most, and I’m deeply sorry,” he said.

After his torturous question-and-answer session ended, his political problems grew even worse. Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives immediately called for a widescale ethics probe into his tawdry behavior.

“I am deeply disappointed and saddened about this situation, for Anthony’s wife, Huma, his family, his staff and his constituents,” House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said in a statement.

She said an “investigation [would] determine whether any official resources were used or any other violation of House rules occurred.”

Weiner claimed that he had not used congressional resources to aid his online adultery. But there was the seamy photo of his bare chest taken in his Washington office — and the claim by one of his online ladies that he had called her at least once from his congressional phone.

Still, Weiner seemed defiant as he later said, “I welcome and will fully cooperate with an investigation by the House ethics committee. I am deeply sorry to my family, staff and constituents.”

The sensational developments came as online gadfly-journalist Andrew Breitbart — whose Web site helped fuel the story — warned that he had obtained an even more shocking, “X-rated” photo of Weiner that “would destroy his family” if it was ever published.

At one point, before Weiner arrived at the Sheraton yesterday, Breitbart commandeered the podium to field questions himself from the press and threatened the release of the scandalous photo if he had to, to make the congressman come clean.

Asked by The Post last night whether he would now release the photo, Breitbart said, “I doubt it.

“I feel vindicated,” he added.

But if he or anyone else was looking for Weiner to step down from his post, he was disappointed.

“I’m not resigning, and I’m going to try very hard to go back to work a better person and a better man, and I’m going to try to be a better — a better husband, too,” Weiner vowed.

That declaration may just be for show, though, one source hinted.

Weiner expects Democrats to redraw congressional boundaries to eliminate his district — leaving him without a spot in Congress, a source told The Post.

But Weiner — who ran for mayor in 2005 — has had his eye on another run for the office and was considered a front-runner in the 2013 election.

“The mayoralty is pretty much dead. That’s over,” said former New York Mayor Ed Koch, who watched the press conference.

“I don’t think the public will accept it. And I don’t think Weiner wants to have this controversy revived again and again.”

Koch said Weiner may be able to hold on to his current job.

“He was truly apologetic, which should be commended. Whether or not he can survive will depend on his constituents, whether they see true contrition,” Koch said.

After Weiner’s mea culpa, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY), a one-time mentor to the congressman, said, “I am deeply pained and saddened,” but claimed that “by fully explaining himself, apologizing to all he hurt and taking full responsibility for his wrongful actions, Anthony did the right thing.

“He remains a talented and committed public servant, and I pray he and his family can get through these difficult times.”

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) said, “My heart goes out to his family right now.”

But Gillibrand added that the question of whether Weiner should resign “is a decision for him to make.”

Additional reporting by Geoff Earle, Lachlan Cartwright, Carl Campanile and Wilson Dizard


dan.mangan@nypost.com