A married prison officer at HMP Wandsworth only had sex with an inmate because she was being blackmailed, a friend has claimed.
Linda De Sousa Abreu, 30, pleaded guilty to misconduct in public office at Isleworth Crown Court on Monday.
The incident, which was captured on camera and then widely shared online, showed De Sousa Abreu engaging in an intimate act with serial burglar Linton Weirich in his cell.
A close friend of De Sousa Abreu, identified only as Hayley, told MailOnline that there “is 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 putunder a lot of pressure and there was a lot of coercion involved.”
The prison officer, who has a Portuguese passport, was apprehended at Heathrow Airport as she attempted to board a flight to Madrid. She phoned the prison as she fled to the airport to say she was not returning to work.
Hayley also disclosed that De Sousa Abreu has recently "found faith in God," which is providing her with solace during this difficult time.
She continued: “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.”
Judge Martin Edmunds KC bailed her, with her passport remaining in police possession, ahead of sentencing on November 7.
Her lawyer, Gayathri Yogarajah, earlier described her as a "young mother" and "person of good character".
