Man who pretended to be Love/Hate actors on Facebook to exploit child spared jail

Mark Byrne targeted an impressionable young teen with his “predatory behaviour” over a period of eight months when he pretended to be Killian Scott and Robert Sheehan

Judge Codd noted that if Facebook had a proper identification verification in place, then the offence could have been prevented in the first place. File Photo

Fri, 12 Mar, 2021 - 19:24

Isabel Hayes and Declan Brennan

A man who used fake Facebook accounts in the name of Love/Hate actors to induce a 14-year-old to share naked images of herself has been given a suspended four-year sentence.

Mark Byrne (aged 30) targeted an impressionable young teen with his “predatory behaviour” over a period of eight months when he pretended to be Killian Scott and Robert Sheehan six years ago, Judge Pauline Codd said today.