Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

YouTube refuses to remove account of prisoner who films videos in his cell

YouTube refuses to remove account of prisoner who films videos in his cell

Sam Walker, currently serving at Forest Bank prison in Salford, has been making videos of himself inside various forms of custody since 2018
YouTube is refusing to delete the account of a serial offender who regularly posts videos from his prison cell and uses his channel to abuse judges, complain about his sentence and give details of drug-taking inside the UK jails.

Sam Walker, who is serving a sentence for possession of 3kg of cannabis and driving while disqualified, has been filming videos of himself inside various forms of custody since 2018.

His latest videos include a question-and-answer session this month from a Hull prison with some of the 23,700 subscribers to his YouTube channel. In it, he claims many of his fellow prisoners are “spiced up like zombies” and that security staff are “spineless”.

Another purports to be filmed by a friend as Walker is escorted by prison guard for a trial last week in Chester crown court when he was found not guilty of possessing counterfeit money.

In one video, when his guard asks him to move, Walker replies: “Hold on a sec, I’m talking”, and then goes on to accuse judges of being paedophiles who give drug dealers longer sentences than rapists.

This year the Ministry of Justice’s (MoJ) digital media investigations unit has twice urged YouTube to take down Walker’s channel but both times it refused.

A Prison Service spokesperson pointed out it was illegal to film from a prison. He said: “We will continue to press YouTube to remove this content. Anyone found in possession of a phone will face extra time behind bars.”

In a video posted in January, Walker, who is from Liverpool, claimed he had raised £1,700 in a month from his video channel, which he said he was donating to a humanitarian campaign to improve conditions in the slums of Sierra Leone.

YouTube has suggested that Walker’s prison videos remain available to view because he has not broken its rules, but it has now prevented him making any money from the account.

Asked why it had refused the MoJ’s request to take down the video, YouTube did not directly answer. It said: “YouTube creators have a responsibility both on and off the platform. If we see that a creator’s on- and/or off-platform behaviour harms our community, we may take action such as suspending the channel from the YouTube partner programme, which would disable their ability to earn money.”

It refused to elaborate but confirmed Walker’s account had been “demonetised”.

Walker, who is thought to be 38, boasts that he first went to prison aged 14. His criminal record includes firearms offences, assault, and possession of drugs with intent to supply. He has recorded videos from numerous prison and police cells including Woodhill high-security prison, as he urged a fellow prisoner to guard the door to “make sure no screws come”.

Walker has used his channel to discuss the tedium of prison life; the quality of prison food; his routine of working out and writing; and the effect on his mental health of being moved from various jails. After being transferred from Hull prison, he is currently in Forest Bank prison in Salford.

In private, the Prison Service conceded that Walker’s videos highlighedt a continuing problem of the widespread availability of contraband mobile phones in prisons. “We know Walker doesn’t have a phone at the moment but we don’t know he hasn’t recorded more videos,” an MoJ source said.

They added: “We’ve put in two requests to YouTube to remove the videos on the grounds that from our perspective this is illegal content that has been recorded inside prison. But if you can’t demonstrate beyond doubt that it’s been uploaded from within the prison, then YouTube says they will not automatically remove the content.”

The source who has discussed the issue with YouTube said: “They said uploading the videos to YouTube isn’t a criminal offence. It would make our lives a lot easier if it was illegal for that footage to be broadcast from anywhere.”

The source added: “YouTube are a free speech international platform which is not governed by any jurisdiction.”

Walker has been approached for comment.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
×