London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Sep 15, 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

0:00
0:00
Close
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
×