Prison officer who had phone sex with inmate during six-month affair is jailed

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A female prison officer who had phone sex with an inmate after they formed a relationship at the jail where she worked has been jailed for 12 months.

Katie Loxton, 27, was a serving prison custody officer at HMP Oakwood in Staffordshire when she first came into contact with inmate Adam Higgs, 32.

A court heard Loxton would spend a large portion of her time on the block where Higgs was housed, raising the suspicions of a number of officers.

Further checks revealed the pair had bypassed the prison’s security system and were communicating through a fake contact on Higgs’ telephone in his cell.

Higgs made a total of 3,451 calls to the number and spoke with Loxton for more than 380 hours, costing him £798 between July 7, 2021 and January 13, 2022.

He also managed to hide a mobile phone which he used to communicate with Loxton through social media.

A court was told the pair would often “perform sexual acts to each other over” the phone.

Officers arrested Loxton and searched her home on January 27 last year where three handwritten letters from Higgs were found inside.

Higgs, of Grantham, was interviewed about the findings in prison in March 2022 and the pair later admitted their offences at Wolverhampton Crown Court.

On Wednesday, Loxton, of Sandwell, was jailed for 12 months for misconduct in a public office.

She also admitted transmitting or causing the transmission of an image/sound by electronic means from within a prison.

Higgs was handed an eight-month sentence for possessing inside a prison a device capable of transmitting or receiving images, sounds or information by electronic communications.

He also admitted without authority transmitting or causing the transmission of an image/sound by electronic means from within a prison.

Detective Constable Adam McHugh, of Staffordshire Police, said: “Loxton and Higgs were able to manipulate the security measures of the prison telephony system to hide their relationship from officers and inmates.

“We are committed to upholding the values and conduct the public expected of Public Office workers.

“I’m happy that Loxton recognised her conduct had fallen short of the expected standard.”