How One Man’s Practical Joke Involving a Baby Landed Him in Prison

An Algerian man who thought it wise to use a baby as a pawn in his distasteful or practical joke in order to attract LIKES on Facebook has been sentenced to two years in prison by an Algerian court.

His offence? The man allegedly posted a picture of himself holding out a baby by his t-shirt and dangled out of the window of a high-rise building with the caption: “1,000 likes or I will drop him.”

This photo prompted an outrage on social media as users demanded his arrest for child abuse. He was later arrested on Sunday and charged with endangering the baby’s safety following his arrest, police said.

News site, Al Arabiya reported that the child was dangled out of the 15th-floor window of an apartment block in the capital, Algiers.

The man, who is a relative of the child, denied he put his life at risk, saying the image had been altered by social media users, Algeria’s privately owned Ennahar TV reported.

“The picture was taken in a balcony with protective barriers. These were removed,” he was quoted as saying.

The child’s father urged the court to forgive the man, saying he had just been playing a game.

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However, the judge ruled against him, saying the picture was clear and the child’s life was in danger.

Many Algerians insulted the man, and praised the authorities for arresting him and sentencing him.

Photo credit: Facebook