Jake Quickenden says troll needs 'locking up' after wishing death on his baby son

Jake Quickenden has said that a troll who targeted his baby son with an abusive Twitter account "needs locking up".

The 32-year-old singer shared several messages posted on a sickening social media account going by the name @jakeqbabyisugly, which insulted his five-month old son.

Read more: Jake Quickenden reveals social media break due to vile trolls

Quickenden's boy Leo has frequently been targeted for social media abuse, with the star posting an Instagram message just four weeks after he was born urging trolls to "seek help".

Responding to the abusive account, which has since been deleted, Quickenden said: "You know what, I can take some test giving me s***, but there’s a line you don’t cross and wishing death on a baby is just crazy behaviour.

"Whoever is behind it needs locking up. How in 2021 can we not find out who are behind these fake accounts?"

In a separate tweet, Quickenden described whoever was behind the account as a "sad, jealous weirdo" and accused them of "wishing death upon my baby".

Read more: Gogglebox star shocked by persistent racist abuse

Quickenden and girlfriend Sophie Church welcomed Leo in February and were delighted to share the news of his arrival with fans and followers, but abuse started to pour in almost immediately.

The star, who rose to fame as a contestant on The X Factor, has urged social media companies to do more to identify those behind anonymous troll accounts.

In May, he said “something must change with online laws” in order to fix issues around abuse via social media.

The problem of anonymous trolling on social media has been thrown into sharp focus in recent weeks given the racist abuse received by England footballers Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho after they missed penalties in the Euro 2020 final.

Many have suggested companies such as Twitter and Instagram could require users to register a government ID such as a passport or driving licence, ensuring all accounts can be traced to a real person.

Read more: Katie Price speaks to select committee over online abuse

The plans have attracted support from celebrities including Piers Morgan and Love Island contestant Maura Higgins, with more than 650,000 people signing a petition started by Katie Price in support of the idea.

Critics of the plans point to the fact anonymity is a matter of safety for some social media users, including whistleblowers, political activists and sex workers.

Watch: Jake Quickenden becomes a father for the first time