Female prison officer who shared ‘intimate sexual chat’ and explicit images with three inmates is jailed for 18 months

A prison guard who shared 'intimate sexual chat' and explicit images with three prisoners she was in a relationship with is now behind bars herself.

Sarah Janes Williams, 38, from Widnes, Cheshire, was working at HMP Altcourse in Liverpool when she “fell into the traps and arms of sophisticated criminals”, her lawyers said.

Liverpool Crown Court heard the prison worker knew the inmates had mobile phones but chose to exchange messages and explicit images with them rather than report their illegal devices to her bosses.

The court heard this involved 'sexual messages and chat and images, intimate sexual chat'. However, Williams had no physical sexual contact with the people she was assigned to monitor.

The court heard that after completing her training – which included training on 'corruption prevention' – she was placed in the 'Canal' wing of Altcourse.

The Sodexo-managed Category B prison houses criminals serving medium to long sentences, as well as poorly behaved prisoners.

Her misconduct came to light when Altcourse bosses received a tip-off that she was involved in inappropriate behaviour.

The case was then escalated to the North West Regional Organized Crime Unit's anti-corruption division after phones seized from prisoners revealed the illegal communications.

Williams was then arrested at home in July 2020 and on Thursday she was jailed for 18 months after pleading guilty to three counts of misconduct in public office, and one count of intent to secure unauthorized access to data.

Two of the inmates she messaged pleaded guilty to possessing cellphones in prison and received extended prison sentences.

Connor Crawford, who is currently serving a sentence for possessing firearms with intent to endanger life, pleaded guilty in prison to possessing a mobile phone and was jailed for a further six months at Liverpool on June 8 Crown Court.

Craig Steenson, who is serving a sentence for conspiracy to supply Class A drugs, also pleaded guilty in prison to possessing a mobile phone and was also jailed for a further six months at Liverpool Crown Court on June 8.

A third prisoner is due to appear in court next year.

The mother of three also told one of the criminals that her colleagues suspected another inmate of having illegal items in his cell, and she illegally searched the prison database to find out in which prison another person was being held.

Jailing her for 18 months on Thursday, Judge Watson said that reading between the lines in reports made about her made her come across as 'someone who seeks approval'.

The judge continues: 'When you started this job, you sought approval, not from colleagues and fellow prison officers, but from detainees.

“When you did that, you jeopardized your position and that of everyone else in terms of security on the wing and essentially gave three prisoners with serious links to organized crime unlimited contact with their criminal associates.”

Judge Watson said Williams, also known by her maiden name Moore, knew the prisoners had four mobile phones between them.

Where her home was searched, details of gang members, some of whom were rivals of the inmates, were found. She had transferred money to one of them after he was transferred to a prison in Manchester.

He said someone's request for information from the database about the whereabouts of another member of the organized crime group, whether an associate or a rival, was “not benign.”

Matthew O'Neill, defending, said Williams had fallen “for the charms of these prisoners”, adding that she may have a personality disorder “which may have impaired her decision-making”.

He added: '(She was placed on the wing with) sophisticated, dangerous criminals and at a time when she was suffering from her mental health. She was diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder.”

Chief Inspector Chris McClellan, of the North-West Regional Organized Crime Unit, said: 'Relationships between prison staff and prisoners are significantly undermining and destabilizing the prison regime.

Sarah Williams began dating these inmates shortly after she joined the prison.

“Despite completing her initial training, which included corruption prevention, she continually broke the law by engaging in multiple relationships with inmates, taking cellphones into prison, and passing on sensitive information to these inmates that she unlawfully obtained from the prison's IT systems.

'The vast majority of prison staff carry out their duties to the highest standards, but the minority who do engage in inappropriate behavior will be investigated and appropriate action taken.

'We would urge prison staff to be aware of any red flags and report any inappropriate behavior so that we can take action to bring them to justice.'

Her prison sentence comes after a former prison officer at a category B prison in Wales was cleared of misconduct in public office after she was allegedly forced to have phone sex with an inmate who threatened her.

'Very beautiful' Ruth Shmylo, 26, said Harri Pullen had become “fixated” on her and she joined in the phone calls – which she said she did not get any satisfaction from – to “calm him down”.

Pullen continued to communicate with her after he was transferred to another prison following the revelation of the affair – which saw Ms Shmylo miss probation and lose her job.

It has since emerged that he also began an affair with another member of prison staff, nurse Elyse Mae Hibbs, using a mobile phone hidden on his body.

Hibbs was jailed for six months in 2022 and later suspended from nursing practice after admitting misconduct in public office for failing to report the illegal device to her bosses.