Face Behind The Name: Meet Matthew Riskin Bean, Convicted 4chan Cyberstalker Share

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Meet Matthew Riskin Bean.

The 20-year-old New Jersey man was sentenced last week to 45 days in prison and five years probation for his role in a cyberbullying campaign carried out by denizens of 4chan.org, the infamous, and often malicious, online cabal.

Bean, who pleaded guilty in September to a felony stalking count, admitted e-mailing sexually explicit photos of a boy to administrators at the victim’s school. The minor had previously uploaded the naked photos to a chat room, and the 4chan mob set out to identify the teen and drive him to suicide. In his e-mail to school administrators, Bean masqueraded as the "concerned mother" of another boy at the school, stating that "this sort of behavior” was unacceptable.

In a reversal of roles, Bean’s photo was made public by the United States Marshals Service, which released this mug shot in response to a Freedom of Information Act request.

In court filings, Bean’s lawyer claimed that his client’s small stature--the felon is 5’ 4” and 110 lbs--could make him the target of jailhouse sexual abuse. Remarking that it is “important that people understand this is a crime," U.S. District Court Judge Anita Brody sentenced Bean to a nominal prison term, which he is scheduled to begin March 4.