Prison officer jailed for 15 months after sex with inmate in cell at HMP Wandsworth

A prison officer has been jailed for 15 months after having sex with an inmate in a cell.

Linda De Sousa Abreu, 30, of Fulham, south-west London, was charged after a video of the activity was shared on social media.

A police investigation was launched after officers were made aware of a video filmed inside HMP Wandsworth in south London.

De Sousa Abreu was arrested and pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office, at Isleworth Crown Court, in July last year.

She appeared at the same court on Monday, where she was sentenced to 15 months in prison.

The charge says that De Sousa Abreu “wilfully and without reasonable excuse or justification misconducted yourself in a way which amounted to an abuse of the public’s trust in the office holder by engaging in a sexual act with a prisoner in a prison cell”.

It happened at Wandsworth between June 26 and 28.

She was arrested at Heathrow Airport and was due to catch a flight to Madrid, having notified the prison of her travel plans.

A Prison Service spokesperson said: “While the overwhelming majority of Prison Service staff are hardworking and honest, we’re catching more of the small minority who break the rules by bolstering our Counter Corruption Unit and strengthening our vetting processes.

“As today’s sentencing demonstrates, where officers do fall below our high standards we won’t hesitate to take robust action.”

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