Prison Guard Seen Having Sex with Inmate in Viral Jail Cell Video Sentenced to 15 Months

On Monday, January 6, Linda De Sousa Abreu, of Fulham, southwest London, appeared in Isleworth Crown Court, where she was sentenced to 15 months in jail for misconduct in a public office. The charges stemmed from incidents in which she engaged in sexual activities with a male inmate, one of which was recorded on an unauthorized cellphone and widely circulated on social media.

The shocking footage, lasting four and a half minutes, showed Abreu in her full prison uniform engaging in intercourse with the inmate while another prisoner filmed and provided commentary. The video, which went viral, included remarks such as, “Guys, we made history,” and “This is how we live at Wandsworth, bruv,” according to The Telegraph.

In a separate incident, Abreu accidentally captured herself performing oral sex on the same inmate using her body-worn camera, a detail revealed during sentencing.

Judge Martin Edmunds KC condemned her actions, stating, “This offense was not isolated. It was part of repeated behavior.” He emphasized the detrimental impact of her misconduct, noting that it undermined the years of progress made toward ensuring respect and professionalism for female staff in male-dominated prisons.

Prison officials launched an investigation after the video surfaced, leading to Abreu’s arrest at Heathrow Airport, where she was attempting to board a flight to Madrid.

Andrew Davy, governor of HMP Wandsworth, described the fallout from her actions, explaining that female staff at the prison have since reported an increase in inappropriate advances from inmates, who now consider them “fair game.” Davy wrote in a statement to the court, “The action of this defendant has undone years of positive and rewarding prisoner interactions in less than a day.”

Abreu’s attorney, Rajiv Menon KC, said she accepted “full responsibility” for her actions.

A Prison Service spokesperson assured the public that efforts to address corruption are ongoing: “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.”