A senior prison officer has admitted having an inappropriate relationship with an inmate. Tracy Boateng, 26, is said to have “abused the public’s trust” during her relationship with Vincent Ojo at HMP Pentonville between February 25 and April 19 last year.
She appeared at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Thursday (February 13) where she admitted to a single charge of misconduct in a public office. Evidence against the prison officer includes body worn camera footage showing interactions between her and Ojo, the court heard.
Pentonville is a category B men’s prison in Islington, north London. Vincent Ojo was jailed for five years after he concealed 25 wraps of cocaine and heroin up his bum.
Boateng, of Dagenham, was granted unconditional bail to appear at the same court for sentencing on May 12.
The senior prison officer missed a previous hearing at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court last month because she was giving birth, her solicitor told the bench.
Earlier this year, former HMP Wandsworth prison officer Linda De Sousa Abreu, 30, was jailed for 15 months after having sex with an inmate in a cell.
Footage of the of the activity was widely shared on social media.
A Prison Service spokesperson said at the time: “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.”
It comes as number of prison employees having sex with inmates is on the rise, according to Ministry of Justice (MoJ) figures.
A staggering 19 members of prison staff were charged with misconduct in public office in relation to alleged inmate-employee affairs between 2023 and 2024, the highest number in 10 years.
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