Jeremy Vine has blasted social media firms after a former BBC native radio presenter was jailed for stalking him.
Alex Belfield was final month discovered responsible at Nottingham Crown Courtroom of waging a marketing campaign in opposition to various figures from the broadcasting world, together with the Radio 2 presenter.
On Friday he was jailed for 5 years and 26 weeks.
Jurors accepted he triggered severe alarm or misery to 2 victims and located him responsible of “easy” stalking in relation to Jeremy and theatre blogger Philip Dehany.
Lia Toby – PA Photos by way of Getty Photos
Talking to The Sunday Occasions, Jeremy criticised platforms reminiscent of YouTube and Twitter, saying: “We needed to get legal professionals to get his shit taken down, and even then it’s arduous.
“The businesses simply say no. They don’t have any ethical values.”
Jeremy added that stalking is widespread for broadcasters, which he described as “the commercial illness of broadcasting.”
He added: “Of my three finest feminine associates on the BBC, all of them have had stalkers.
“I feel stalking is the commercial illness of broadcasting.”
Talking about feeling extra cautious about interacting with listeners on-line, he mentioned: “I really like listening to from them, however (Belfield) has poisoned it.
“The lagoon has been turned black.”
Jacob King – PA Photos by way of Getty Photos
Jurors convicted Belfield of 4 fees dedicated between 2012 and 2021.
Throughout sentencing, Mr Justice Saini instructed him: “Your offences are so severe solely a custodial sentence might be justified.”
Belfield, who has 359,000 followers on his YouTube channel, The Voice Of Motive, and 43,000 on Twitter, directed his assaults by way of social media “in extremely damaging and infrequently abusive phrases”, the decide mentioned.
In addition to jailing Belfield, Mr Justice Saini issued indefinite restraining orders banning him from contacting his victims.
YouTube and Twitter have been contacted for remark.
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