Former HMP Wandsworth prison officer who was filmed having sex with inmate jailed for 15 months

A prison officer who was filmed having sex with an inmate has been jailed for 15 months.

Linda De Sousa Abreu, 30, from Fulham, south-west London, was on duty at HMP Wandsworth when she entered the prisoner's cell and had sex with him on 27 June.

She was subsequently charged after a video of the incident was shared on social media.

Linda De Sousa Abreu has been jailed for 15 months after having sex with an inmate (PA)

A police investigation was then launched after officers were made aware of the video.

Prosecutors said that the married mother, who has an OnlyFans account of her own, willingly took part in the video with a felon who's spending time behind bars for an $82,000 (£63,800) luxury goods heist in Kensington, London.

De Sousa Abreu - who was arrested and pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office in July last year - appeared Isleworth Crown Court on Monday (6 January), where she was sentenced to 15 months in prison.

Misconduct in public office (MiPO) is a common law offence that can only be tried on indictment, according to UK law.

Linda De Sousa Abreu, 30, from Fulham, south-west London, was on duty at the time of the incident (PA)

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'.

Sentencing, Judge Martin Edmunds KC said: "It will impact on the reputation of the prison service and, with that, the prospects of recruiting and retaining staff.

"It causes anxiety among those close to vulnerable prisoners who worry more about the environment in which prisoners are held. That recording is still out there and will doubtless circulate indefinitely.

She was charged after a video of the incident was shared on social media (PA)

"You are not responsible for the wider problems of prisons, but you have added to them. The level of harm is high, indeed very high."

Governor of HMP Wandsworth, Andrew Davy, told the court that female workers are going home 'only to be met by children who are being teased by others at school because their mothers work at HMP Wandsworth'.

He added: “It has taken many years for female staff to be accepted and treated professionally in a male-dominated environment...The activities of this defendant have undone years of work.”

Tetteh Turkson, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said last year: “This was a shocking breach of the public’s trust.

“De Sousa was clearly an enthusiastic participant who wrongly thought she would avoid responsibility.

“The CPS recognises there is no excuse for any prison officer who conducts themselves in such a manner, and we will never hesitate to prosecute those who abuse their position of power.

“After working closely with the Metropolitan Police to build the strongest possible case, De Sousa had no option but accept she was guilty. She will now rightly face the consequences of her actions.”