Windsor prison guard who kissed inmate and sent explicit images is sentenced

 A prison officer from Windsor has been handed a suspended jail sentence after she sent explicit images of herself to an inmate and kissed them while on duty.

Chloe Hobbs, 23, was sentenced to 14 months’ in prison, suspended for two years, on a charge of misconduct in a public office at Oxford Crown Court on Wednesday (August 6).

Hobbs, from Gallys Road in Windsor, was also ordered to complete 180 hours of unpaid work, a 10-hour rehabilitation course, and pay court costs of £1000 at the sentencing.

Police said Hobbs' actions had ‘eroded confidence in the prison system’ and her conviction showed ‘misuse of authority will be met with decisive action’.

Hobbs was serving as a prison officer at HMP Huntercombe, near Nuffield in Oxfordshire, when her offences were uncovered in November 2023.

A contraband mobile phone had been seized from an inmate at the prison, which contained the explicit images sent directly from Hobbs.

Hobbs had also kissed the prisoner while on duty, she admitted in messages to a friend found on the phone.

Further investigation by police uncovered payments worth £2,800 sent from the inmates’ partner to Hobbs.

Hobbs was charged on March 4, 2025. She pleaded guilty to the charge of misconduct in a public office on May 8.

The investigation was led by prison intelligence officers from the South East Regional Organised Crime Unit (SEROCU), and HM Prisons and Probation Service (HMPPS) Counter Corruption Unit.

Huntercombe Prison is a jail in Oxfordshire for foreign national men, according to the Government's website. 

Head of SEROCU, Detective Chief Superintendent Steve Boniface, said: “We continue to work in close partnership with HMPPS Counter Corruption Unit to identify and bring to justice the small number of staff who violate the standards expected in public service.

“Hobbs’ actions eroded confidence in the prison system, all while she was serving in a role of considerable responsibility.

“This conviction sends a clear signal: no individual is above scrutiny. Misuse of authority will be met with decisive action.”

Pete Chatten, Head of HMPPS' Counter Corruption Unit, said: “This sentencing highlights the vital work of the Counter Corruption Unit in holding the minority of staff who break the rules accountable for their actions. 

"Through intelligence-led operations and our close collaboration with policing partners, we are intensifying efforts to clamp down on individuals whose behaviour undermines the security of our prisons."