A prison officer, Rebecca Pinckard, 46, has been sentenced to 32 weeks in jail for engaging in a sexual act with an inmate, Erion Nakdi, 42, in a storage room at HMP Highpoint in Suffolk. The incident was captured on Pinckard’s body-worn camera in two video clips filmed on July 5, 2024, and discovered by another officer reviewing the footage. Judge Anthony Cartin stated that the misconduct was only uncovered due to a mistake and that the offense had been ongoing for several months, including the sending of a card by Pinckard to Nakdi.
During the court proceedings, it was revealed that Pinckard had also sent Nakdi a Moonpig card and had received and shared sexual videos of Nakdi in his prison cell through social media messaging. Nakdi, who admitted to possessing an unauthorized mobile phone in prison, was sentenced to an additional 10 months in jail in addition to his existing 16-year and three-month sentence for drug offenses.
In defense of Nakdi, his lawyer described the unauthorized device as a “pool phone” and emphasized the emotional connection between Nakdi and Pinckard. Pinckard’s lawyer argued that it was a moment of indiscretion and not a formal relationship, citing personal difficulties in Pinckard’s life at the time. The court also heard that Pinckard had previously received a warning for being overly familiar with prisoners and had attempted to improve their lives by giving them cakes and sweets.
During the sentencing, Pinckard displayed emotions, wiping tears from her eyes as she was led away to the cells.
