Man kneeling on baby: Police jail suspect

A man has been arrested over the photo. Photo / Twitter

Warning: Distressing content

Officials in the US state of Ohio say charges are pending in the disturbing case of a social media photo showing a man kneeling on a baby.

Clark County Prosecutor's office say charges again 20-year-old Isaiah Jackson are pending and he is being held on a probation violation after an investigation was launched into the horrific photo, which went viral yesterday.

In the photo, a man in seen kneeling on the neck of crying young child while another person holds the child's hands behind their back.

A caption on the photo reads: "Blm now mf (Black Lives Matter now, motherf***er)."

The original photograph. Photo / Twitter

A case against Jackson has been presented to the prosecutor's office who will "provide a determination on the scope and breadth of the felony charges" that Jackson will face, Clark County Sheriff's Office Lieutenant Kristopher Shultz said in a media release.

The photo generated a wave of revulsion on social media, with conservative blogger Matt Walsh writing: "Life in prison would be far too lenient here".

Police made contact with Jackson, the child and the child's mother after launching an investigation immediately after receiving a tip-off, police said.

2018 file mugshot of Isaiah Jackson. Photo / Clark County Sheriff's Office

Police have revealed that the child was 2 and was taken to hospital for examination.

They did not suffer any injuries, police said.

A subsequent interview with the mother revealed that she was unaware of the photo having been taken, or its contents, until she had been informed by other parties, Shultz said.