A former prison officer from Bury St Edmunds has pleaded guilty to misconduct in office, after accepting money in return for information regarding a celebrity prisoner.
Amanda Watts, 43, was employed as a prison officer at HM Prison Highpoint South when she sold information to News International.
Between September 16 2010 and November 1 2010, Watts provided the information, for around £2,150 about Wham signer George Michael, who was an inmate at the prison.
The information resulted in five articles being run in The Sun newspaper.
Watts was arrested as part of Operation Elveden earlier this year, and today pleaded guilty to public misconduct in office.
She is set to be sentenced at the Old Bailey on October 16.
Detective Chief Superintendent Gordon Briggs, leading on Operation Elveden, said: “Watts sold confidential information, which she had gained through the course of her job, to a newspaper.
“When public officials behave in this way, and breach the trust and confidence placed in them, they undermine the trust placed in public servants to act with honesty and integrity.”
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