Man Jailed for Cloning Bodybuilder's Facebook Profile to Abuse Boy

Brandon Cooper, 24, has been jailed for 16 months after pleading guilty to inciting a child to commit a sexual act. He cloned the Facebook profile of a well-known local bodybuilder to target and sexually abuse a boy under the age of 13.

The victim's father discovered the messages and contacted police in August. Cooper, of Brook House Avenue, Eccles, admitted to using a fake name and profile to gain the trust of the young victim.

"Cooper's actions could easily have robbed a young person of his childhood," said Det Con Tina Jackson. "In impersonating an innocent man in an attempt to veil his identity and sadistically lure the young victim in, Cooper spared no thought for the consequences of his actions and the damage he could have done to another, innocent person's life."

The court heard how the real person Cooper impersonated was initially arrested but quickly cleared by detectives. The victim's father praised his son's "resilience" in the face of the abuse.

Cooper has been placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years and is subject to a sexual harm prevention order indefinitely.