Jake Quickenden calls for anti-troll laws after partner told to ‘drown baby’

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Dancing on Ice favourite Jake Quickenden injured ahead of final
Jake Quickenden has called for a change to laws over social media trolling.

Jake Quickenden has said his girlfriend Sophie Church was told by online trolls to "drown your baby".

The former X Factor star admitted that while he is used to people trolling him, he was shocked that people were targeting his 10-week-old son Leo.

Candidly opening up about the online abuse he and Church have been subjected to since Leo was born, he said: “It hurt, but you have to ask yourself, “Why are people doing this?

“Sophie received one saying, 'Why don’t you drown your baby.'”

He added that “something must change with online laws”.

Read more: Former X-Factor star reveals he's quitting social media

Quickenden was asked for his "thoughts on trolls" on his Instagram story on Wednesday after he prompted followers to ask him questions as he went on a walk with Leo in a chest harness.

He responded: “Lonely, lacking something in their own lives, jealous probably a bit hurt.

“I feel a bit sorry for them, to be honest."

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 28: Jake Quickenden and Sophie Church attend the press night after party for the 50th anniversary production of
Jake Quickenden and Sophie Church in 2019. (David M Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images)

Previously, just a month after Leo’s birth, Quickenden addressed the horrific extent to which his newborn son was being trolled online.

Posting an image of Leo in a blue, spotty button-down romper suit, he said:

“REAL POST… So in the past week this little man has been told he needs Botox, that he’s ugly as f*** and that he’s weird looking, me myself have also been told stay off social media if you don’t want to be trolled.

“It’s so baffling to me that I should have to stay off social media if I don’t want my four-week-old trolled.

“I don’t mind people giving me s**t, as sad as it is I’ve had to get used to being called “irrelevant“, “ugly“, “attention seeking“ and the list goes on but to troll an innocent child is so wrong and the people doing it seriously need to seek help.”

He added: “I try and be real as possible, but unfortunately there is a dark side of social media and something needs doing about it.”

Read more: Katie Price defends setting up an Instagram account for son Harvey

Quickenden is among many celebrities who have called for a change in the laws surrounding social media, including Katie Price, who has been campaigning for a number of years to have "Harvey's Law" passed.

Katie Price with her son Harvey leaves Portcullis House in London after giving evidence to the Commons Petitions Committee where she called for online abuse to be made a specific offence. (Photo by Nick Ansell/PA Images via Getty Images)
Katie Price and her son Harvey leave Portcullis House in London. (Nick Ansell/PA Images via Getty Images)

Named after her son Harvey, who has also been subject to relentless online trolling, the proposed bill would make it illegal to troll or abuse others online.

Price has said Harvey's Law would make trolling a punishable offence and make a registry of known trolls available to the general public.

Watch: Jake Quickenden and Sophie discuss their relationship