Prison officer filmed having sex with inmate jailed
A 31-year-old prison officer, Linda De Sousa Abreu, has been sentenced to 15 months in prison after engaging in sexual activity with an inmate at HMP Wandsworth in London.
The incident, which took place on June 25, 2024, was filmed by another prisoner and lasted for nearly five minutes.
The video, which later went viral on social media, led to De Sousa Abreu’s identification and arrest at Heathrow Airport on June 28, 2024. At the time of her arrest, she was attempting to flee to Madrid and had informed the prison she would not be returning to her duties.
De Sousa Abreu pleaded guilty to misconduct in a public office on July 29, 2024. During her sentencing at Isleworth Crown Court on Monday, Judge Martin Edmunds KC described her actions as “immensely serious,” emphasizing that her misconduct compromised the integrity of her role as a prison officer and undermined discipline within the prison, placing both fellow officers and the prison system at greater risk.
The court was informed that De Sousa Abreu had a history of mental health issues and trauma. On the day of the incident, she had consented to the sexual activity and had agreed to the presence of another inmate, who filmed the encounter while reportedly smoking cannabis.
The video was subsequently shared online without her consent, leading to widespread consequences. Judge Edmunds noted that De Sousa Abreu participated in the act with “evident enthusiasm,” and had engaged in sexual activity with the same inmate earlier that day, as well as on a previous occasion.
The fallout from the video extended beyond the immediate incident. Following its release, female officers at HMP Wandsworth reported increased harassment, abuse, and sexual advances from prisoners. Some officers’ children were also subjected to teasing at school due to their parents’ profession. Judge Edmunds commented, “It is inevitable that the damage for which you were responsible at Wandsworth has spread, to some degree, throughout the prison estate.”
De Sousa Abreu will serve half of her 15-month sentence in custody, with the remainder to be served on licence. She also received a 95-day reduction in her sentence for wearing an electronic tag for 190 days prior to sentencing.
A spokesperson for the Prison Service condemned her actions, stating that such behavior undermines the integrity of the system. “While the overwhelming majority of Prison Service staff are hardworking and honest, we are increasingly identifying and holding accountable the small minority who break the rules through our enhanced Counter Corruption Unit and improved vetting processes. As today’s sentencing shows, we will take robust action when officers fall below our high standards.”
Tetteh Turkson from the Crown Prosecution Service described De Sousa Abreu’s actions as “a shocking breach of the public’s trust,” adding, “She was clearly an enthusiastic participant who wrongly believed she would avoid responsibility.”
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