A Man Risked His Baby's Life In Order To Get 1,000 Likes On Facebook
“1,000 likes or I will drop him.”
Getty Images “1,000 likes or I will drop him.”
That is the statement a negligent man posted on Facebook as the caption to this photo of him dangling a toddler out of the 15-stories-high window of his apartment — by just the back of the boy's tiny t-shirt!
The post, which has since been removed from Facebook, clearly shows the child being held out of the window by only the thin layer of his t-shirt material grasped in the man's hand at an apartment building in the city of Bab Ezzouar, Algeria.
What a disgusting human being.
The man's Michael Jackson-esque move certainly didn't go unnoticed.
No one can forget the moment in 2002, when the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson, dangled his then nine-month-old son Blanket, over the balcony of his 4th-floor hotel room in Berlin.
At least in that situation, Jackson showed remorse following the incident.
Jackson issued a statement of apology for "the terrible mistake" to the public, in which he said, "I offer no excuses for what happened ... I got caught up in the excitement of the moment. I would never intentionally endanger the lives of my children."
The same can't yet be said of the as yet unnamed man in this case, but others made sure there will be justice and protection for the child, reportedly the son of a relative, in the future.
Several Facebook users who got wind of the images reported the man to authorities for child abuse, ultimately leading to his arrest.
A comment shared in an article on the site for NTD Television noted, "What is most striking is that it appears that the father is carrying his son [editor's note: earlier reports claimed the child was the man's son] with his left hand while using his right hand to take the picture, this means the picture is more important than the child's life," and, in the same article, activist Ali Ben Jeddou shared his opinion that “this man should be brought to justice and punished in the most severe way."
In his defense, the man claimed that the picture had been photoshopped and that it "was taken in a balcony with protective barriers. These were removed."
The child's father backed his family member up, saying he had just been "joking around."
The man has now been prosecuted in an Algerian court, resulting in a two-year prison sentence.
And rightfully so!
He endangered the life of a child for the ridiculously greedy purpose of gaining followers and temporary fame on social media.
This was in no way, shape or form acceptable, and others need to be made aware that people willing to abuse and endanger others for the sake of some likes on Facebook will be held accountable.
Hopefully, this man has learned his lesson and the poor boy will not be subject to any further reckless pranks at the whim of his family.
Brittany White is a love and entertainment writer.
Editor's Note: This article was originally posted on June 22, 2017 and was updated with the latest information.