A married HMP Wandsworth officer who flirted with an inmate on camera “was having problems in her marriage” when the X-rated clip was filmed.
Linda De Sousa Abreu, 30, admitted having sex with serial burglar Linton Weirich in her cell at the scandal-hit jail, but says she only agreed to take part after Lags threatened to expose her career as an amateur porn star.
Her close friend Hayley, who only wanted to give her first name, told MailOnline that De Sousa Abreu had allegedly been having a “very difficult time” at work, claiming inmates knew her husband’s name and her OnlyFans account.
Hayley said the alleged “pressure” and “coercion” had a knock-on effect on DeSousa Abreu’s marriage around the time the scandalous images were recorded.
De Sousa Abreu, who claims he has since “found faith in God”, pleaded guilty to one count of misconduct in public office at a hearing at Isleworth Crown Court on Monday.
Linda De Sousa Abreu (pictured) had sex with an inmate on video at HMP Wandsworth
The X-rated clip shows De Sousa Abreu dressed in full uniform and performing a sexual act on Weirich, who has a pregnant girlfriend, at the category A prison.
A close friend of the prison officer (pictured) told MailOnline she was having ‘marital problems’ when she filmed the pornographic clip with the inmate.
De Sousa Abreu was a prison officer at HMP Wandsworth (pictured) when the explicit images were filmed – her friend claimed she was “forced” into it by inmates.
“Linda was having a really tough time at work because of all this. And she was also having problems in her marriage,” Hayley told MailOnline.
“She is absolutely devastated by what happened and is filled with remorse. She is totally devastated and is trying to rebuild her life.”
The former prison officer, who has Portuguese citizenship, is still married to her husband, with whom she has an eight-year-old daughter.
Hayley continued: ‘They are a lovely couple and are working hard to save their marriage. It hasn’t been easy for them.
“People try to make it seem like Linda is some kind of sex monster, but that’s not the case at all.”
Her close friend is convinced that the circumstances surrounding the incident will become public when De Sousa returns to court to be sentenced in November.
She said: “There is much more to this story than people realise. Some of the prisoners had obtained personal information from Linda.
“They knew her address, her husband’s name and that she had an OnlyFans account. They put her under a lot of pressure and coercion.”
She was filmed on a mobile phone having sex with prisoner Linton Weirich (pictured)
Linton Weirich (pictured with his partner, who is seven months pregnant) is the inmate who was filmed having sex with a female guard in a cell.
Ms De Sousa Abreu, a Portuguese national living in south-west London, is a married former prison officer.
Linda De Sousa Abreu leaves Isleworth Crown Court on Monday
De Sousa Abreu (pictured, in a sketch made by a court artist) pleaded guilty to one count of misconduct in public office and was released on bail ahead of her sentencing in November.
De Sousa Abreu lives in a sprawling housing estate in Fulham, near where Weirich grew up.
Hayley added: “It wasn’t difficult for the other prisoners to get Linda’s details and find out things about her personal life.”
“She’s a very kind and caring person who made a terrible mistake. We all make mistakes in life and people shouldn’t be so quick to judge her.”
The June 27 encounter was filmed by another inmate and went viral on social media. MailOnline later revealed that De Sousa Abreu has appeared on TV shows about swingers and has an OnlyFans account.
She was later identified by staff at HMP Wandsworth and arrested by the Metropolitan Police at Heathrow Airport as she attempted to fly to Madrid.
She called the prison to say she would not be returning to work and that her husband would return her equipment.
Hayley also revealed that since his arrest, De Sousa Abreu has “found faith in God,” which is giving him “a lot of comfort.”
The explicit clip begins with her dressed in full uniform and performing a sexual act on Weirich, who has a pregnant girlfriend, in the category A prison.
She is then seen having sex with the serial burglar while her cellmate films it on a mobile phone. In the cell footage, a television and piles of clothes are seen piled on a bunk bed.
The friend who is smoking while recording says: “Guys, we made history, this is what I tell you.”
His radio, left on a side table, crackles constantly and the voices of his colleagues on other channels can be heard above the din of the other prisoners on the landing, oblivious to what is happening in the cell.
At one point, someone appears to be trying to enter the cell, and the man filming can be heard saying to the person on the other side of the door: “Give me a minute, a second.”
The prisoner filming tells his friend to continue and then turns the camera around for a moment and, smiling, says: “This is how we behave in Wandsworth.”
De Sousa Abreu lives in a sprawling housing estate in Fulham, close to where Weirich (pictured) grew up.
The encounter inside HMP Wandsworth (pictured) on June 27 was filmed by another inmate and went viral on social media.
During his hearing at Isleworth Crown Court, Judge Martin Edmunds, KC, Recorder of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, released De Sousa Abreu on bail ahead of his sentencing hearing on 7 November.
He also ordered a pre-sentence report and will hear any mitigating circumstances before sentencing.
De Sousa Abreu is subject to “strict” bail conditions. Her Portuguese passport must remain in the possession of police and she is not allowed to apply for any international travel documents.
She is banned from entering any UK port of travel and the judge also placed her under an electronically monitored curfew between 7pm and 9am every day.
Her lawyer, Gayathri Yogarajah, previously described her as a “young mother” and “a person of good character”.
Tetteh Turkson, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “This was a shocking breach of public trust. De Sousa was clearly an enthusiastic participant who mistakenly thought she would escape accountability.
‘The Prosecution Service recognises that there is no excuse for any prison officer to behave 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 to accept his guilt. He must now face the consequences of his actions.”