A man in Algeria has been sentenced to two years in prison after he dangled a baby out of a window in order to get "likes" on Facebook, the BBC reported.
The unidentified man — who was incorrectly described as the baby's father in some news reports — sparked panic and outrage on social media when he posted a photo of himself holding the child out of a 15th-floor window on Facebook, captioning it "1,000 likes or I will drop him," according to the BBC and Al Arabiya.
Facebook users were quick to alert authorities of the man’s behavior and demanded his arrest for child abuse. The man, who is reportedly a relative of the child, was subsequently arrested and charged with endangering the baby’s safety.
“The picture was taken in a balcony with protective barriers. These were removed,” the man said, suggesting that the photo being circulated online had been altered by social media users.
Additionally, the child's father pleaded with the court to forgive the man and stated that he was "just playing a game," the BBC reported. The judge, however, ruled against the man, saying the picture clearly showed the child's life to be in danger.
