Prison officer who sent sexual images of herself to teenage inmates and smuggled in parcels is jailed

Mum of one Jordan Trainor - who is 17 weeks pregnant with her second child - was jailed for 18 months after she admitted misconduct in public office while working as a prison officer at a Young Offender Institution.

Trainor, aged 25, of Gleneagles Drive, Normanton, Wakefield, developed a "flirtatious" relationship with an inmate after she became a prison officer in June 2018.

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Trainor became aware the 17 year old boy had a phone and started sending him sexualised text messages.

Prosecutor, Jonathan Sharp, said: "This progressed to her taking sexualised photographs of herself and, particularly boldly, printing copies of those photographs at her place of work before handing the copies to the boy.

"She also smuggled in to the institution several parcels, both for him and, at the inmate's instigation, for other inmates.

"She was to say in interview that the parcels were phone-shaped, though she did not actually see their contents.

"The Crown’s position is that she knew full well these were phones, and she was aware she was committing an offence by bringing these items into the institution."

Mr Sharp said Trainor knew a second 17 year old inmate had a mobile phone and started sending him "sexualised text messages and sexualised photographs."

Mr Sharp said: "Their relationship progressed far enough for him to have touched her sexually on three occasions and she, at the lowest, did not protest at or report any of these touchings.

"Indeed, she was regularly asking colleagues to swap shifts so that she could be working where the inmate would be, and a message that she sent to him on the morning of December 23 2019 provides a clear indication of her feelings towards him. It read “Can’t wait to see you today - missed your face x”.

Mr Sharp said "gossip was rife" at the YOI and searches of both boys' cells were carried out on December 23 2019.

Each had a record of the defendant’s personal mobile number and the the first inmate still had the two photographs.

The second boy had three mobile phones, which were seized and examined.

Trainor was stopped as she arrived for work and was suspended from duty.

Trainor then sent the second boy a message which read “I’ll not see you again now, I’ve been suspended” and, after receiving no reply, later sent another message which read "Full of conversation aren’t you.”

Mr Sharp said: "It appears not to have occurred to her that his phone was by then in the hands of the authorities."

Trainor admitted what she had done when she was arrested and interviewed on January 25 2020.

Mr Sharp said: "As to her motivation, she candidly admitted that in relation to the first inmate, she liked the attention."

Mr Sharp said Trainor told police the first boy had blackmailed her into doing some of the things she had done.

Mr Sharp said the prosecution rejected that claim and said that she was able to report it, adding: "If she was under any pressure, it was wholly as a result of her permitting relationships to develop in the first place, and, in particular, her handing (the first boy) the printed photographs of herself."

Jade Edwards, mitigating, said Trainor has a three year old child and is 17 weeks pregnant with a second child.

Miss Edwards said Trainor had the support of family and friends in her previous role as a prison officer at Feltham YOI in London, before she and her husband moved to Yorkshire to support his career.

The court heard that after the move, her husband went on a two week training course away from home.

Miss Edwards said: "He barely spoke to her and told her he needed space.

"She said she only received a couple of text messages from him during that time. She felt she had to rebuild her life.

"She was aged 24 with a child who was not yet two. She felt unsupported and rejected by her husband, the man she had moved to support.

"She felt rejected by other prison officers. She felt they mocked her London accent.

"She began drinking heavily, up to 12 cans of Stella a day would not have been unusual for her."

Miss Edwards said Trainor has suffered with her mental health since she was a teenager and has recently been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder.

Miss Edwards said Trainor did not know anyone in Yorkshire, adding: "She felt these two 17 year old prisoners were essentially her only friends, the only people she had to talk to. She said she doesn't understand how she let this happen."

Miss Edwards said: "As for the explicit photographs, she said she was just happy someone was paying her some interest. She foolishly provided him with some photographs, the two found in his cell.

"He asked her to bring in vodka and cigarettes and asked for more explicit photographs but she refused.

"She was told her photos and phone would be passed to the governor if she didn't do as she was asked. She said messages were sent to her saying she could go to prison for what she had done."

"She was told to swap shifts which she did, and was asked to pass notes, which she did."

Miss Edwards said Trainor brought in four packages on one occasion and did not know what was in them.

Miss Edwards said Trainor's marriage broke down after she was arrested.

Miss Edwards said: "She has a new partner. He is much more supportive of her. He is the father of her unborn child."

Judge Simon Phillips QC told Trainor: "The court has heard you engaged in flirtatious behaviour with these inmates, which clearly you enjoyed."

Judge Phillips said: "It has been said on your behalf that these two inmates were the only two people you could turn to.

"I don't accept that. There was a hierarchy, there were colleagues who you could, if you had chosen to, turned to for support. You chose not to do that."

Jailing Trainor for 18 months, Judge Phillips said: "As a former prison officer, serving any sentence is a challenging and difficult prospect in terms of the reception you may receive from other inmates."