HMP Wandsworth guard caught having sex with inmate was ‘blackmailed by prisoner’
A associate of a prison officer who had sex with an inmate on camera has said prisoners blackmailed her.
Linda De Sousa Abreu, 30, of Fulham, south-west London, pleaded guilty to misconduct after having sex with an inmate in a cell.
A police investigation was launched after officers were made aware of a video filmed inside HMP Wandsworth in south London.
Now, a friend of De Sousa Abreu said there was “coercion” involved and the circumstances surrounding the incident will become public when she returns to court for sentencing in November.
The friend, known only as Hayley, told MailOnline: “There’s a lot more to this story than people think. Some of the prisoners had got hold of Linda’s personal details.
“They knew her address, her husband’s name and that she had an OnlyFans account. She was put under a lot of pressure and there was a lot of coercion involved. Linda was going through a very hard time at work because of all this. And she was also having problems in her marriage.
“She’s absolutely devastated by what happened and is full of remorse. It’s absolutely devastated her and she’s trying to rebuild her life. It wasn’t hard for the other prisoners to get Linda’s details and find out things about her personal life.”
The encounter on June 27 was filmed by another inmate and went viral on social media. It was later revealed that De Sousa Abreu has appeared on TV swinging programs and has an OnlyFans account.
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The mother was arrested at Heathrow Airport and was due to catch a flight to Madrid having notified the prison of her travel plans. De Sousa Abreu, who holds a Portuguese passport, was granted conditional bail, and will next appear at Isleworth Crown Court on November 7.
Speaking after she appeared at court, Tetteh Turkson, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “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.”
De Sousa Abreu is subject to ‘stringent’ bail conditions. Her Portuguese passport must remain in police possession, and she is not allowed to apply for any international travel documents.
She is barred from entering any UK travel ports and the judge also made her subject to an electronically monitored curfew between 7pm and 9am each day.
Her lawyer Gayathri Yogarajah earlier described her a “young mother” and “a person of good character.”