Court orders husband to apologise to estranged wife on Facebook for 30 days after he posted hate-filled rant about their bitter custody battle

Mark Byron breached protection order after domestic violence conviction

A husband has been forced to issue a grovelling apology to his estranged wife every day for 30 days on Facebook after posting a furious message about her on the social networking site.

In leaving the hate-filled rant, Mark Byron breached a court order protecting his wife, Elizabeth, and their son after he was convicted of civil domestic violence against her last year.

According to court records, he said: 'If you are an evil, vindictive woman who wants to ruin your husband's life and take your son's father away from him completely - all you need to do is say that you're scared of your husband or domestic partner and they'll take him away!'

Held to account: Mark Byron (above) has been told to leave a grovelling apology to his estranged wife on Facebook or face 60 days in prison

The Cincinnati photographer also posted a picture of his son, Jonathon, which Mrs Byron somehow saw, along with comments from friends, even though she was blocked from the page, he said.

Magistrate Paul Meyers ruled last month Byron had violated the protection order preventing him from 'causing plaintiff or the child of the parties to suffer physical and/or mental abuse, harassment, annoyance or bodily injury.'

He has now been told he must leave a lengthy message expressing his penitence on his Facebook page for 30 days or face 60 days in prison and $500 fine, it was reported on WLWT.com.

The message, which was posted on February 13, could not be taken down for 30 days.

Byron must also grant friend status to his wife or anyone else wanting access, Meyers ruled.

In black and white: Byron's Facebook apology to his wife as per court orders

Breach: The photo Byron posted of him and his son, Jonathon, on Facebook which his wife saw even though he claims she was blocked from his page

Speaking to WLWT.com, Byron said he left the original message in frustration over his impending divorce and child visitation.

'I post on Facebook to vent things,' he said yesterday. I liken it to having a drink in a bar with a friend and telling them how I feel.

'On one hand, the court wants to stop me from saying something on Facebook, then it's telling me I have to (post) the pre-written apology.'

Byron, who claims his wife painted an unfair picture of him in a domestic relations court, must also pay back outstanding child support in order to avoid the jail term.