13 February 2024 , 11:01
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A former professional footballer has been jailed for 16 months after being found guilty of harassing a man he had never met on behalf of a woman he befriended online.
Rodney de Khors, who played for several League of Ireland clubs, wept as he was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on Monday.
De Khors, 54, of Coolevin, Ballybrack, Dublin, pleaded guilty to one count of harassing the man on dates between August 12, 2019 and August 31, 2020.
The court heard that the victim had a child with the woman. She got to know De Khors online and said that the victim had not been giving her adequate child support. De Khors then began what Judge Martin Nolan described as a "prolonged... campaign of vilification on social media."
The ex-footballer used an account named Irish-Steve@BadboyDublin. He posted doctored images of the victim and tagged the man's then-employer in numerous posts. De Khors' defence counsel claimed he thought he was being a 'good Samaritan' in helping the woman.
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In a victim impact statement read in court, the victim said De Khors' campaign of "horrific allegations" against him had been a "living nightmare". The victim said he was called a "paedophile, a sexual predator, a danger to women and children" and he had to change career.
The man said De Khors "destroyed" him as a person and added that he has suffered from extreme anxiety, depression, PTSD and a fear of social encounters in the wake of the harassment. During the sentencing hearing, Judge Nolan said: "It was a campaign of vilification on social media."
Judge Nolan sentenced De Khors to three years and suspended the final 20 months on several conditions. He added that psychiatric care should be made available to De Khors in custody. De Khors, a central midfielder, played for League of Ireland clubs including Shamrock Rovers, Shelbourne and Bohemians.
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