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A TikTok star has been spared jail after he used Facebook to illegally stream Sky TV to thousands of people. Simon Hannigan, who has half a million followers on his 'dad the dish' TikTok account, used Facebook groups as a 'shop window' to share the illegal links. A Sky-led investigation revealed he had been distributing log-ins that provided customers with access to over 3,500 channels, a court heard. Hannigan, who is known for his cooking videos on social media, amassed thousands of members of the Facebook groups. One group, simply named 'Simon', boasted 4,775 members and operated by selling subscriptions, enabling members to stream television, films, sports and music channels via an Android app. Join the Manchester Evening News WhatsApp group HERE The court heard how Hannigan had previously gloated about his success in text messages, claiming that 'business was booming' and 'phones were blowing up'. He even offered special deals to those aiding his business, reports Lancs Live . Following his arrest on March 23, 2022, Simon confessed to providing links but denied breaching copyright laws, arguing he wasn't in control of the system. One of the 'mother systems' used to facilitate the operation was based in Europe, serving 50 million people globally. Simon, who offered full services for £50 a year or £28 for six months, was found to have been receiving payments from customers under the reference 'paid adverts', following a financial investigation. A review of his bank account revealed that 2,644 payments had been made using this reference, amounting to £151,112. Along with other transfers matching the same sum, the total reached at least £152,000, a figure which Hannigan acknowledged. The 35 year old, described as a 'proud family man', confessed to distributing the links but denied running the operation, describing himself as a 'downstream middle man'. During mitigation, it emerged that prior to starting the business venture, Hannigan had been hospitalised due to a burst appendix and was in a 'very bad way', returning home from hospital to discover his partner had left him for his friend. Finding himself in 'dire financial straits' and recovering from 'severe hospital treatment', he posted on Facebook asking if there were any jobs available and stumbled upon this business opportunity, initially involving friends and family before expanding through Facebook groups. Upon arrest, he immediately admitted to selling the streams and claimed he was relieved it could now end due to the stress it had caused him, as he found the toll 'very difficult'. The court was informed that since his arrest, Hannigan had 'turned his life around' by establishing his business 'Munchieboxuk', which supports local takeaways by selling their food at lower fees than other delivery services. He also portrayed himself as a 'changed man', utilising his Dadthedish accounts on Instagram and TikTok to share budget-friendly recipes. Now, he has proposed to assist Sky News and the British Copyright Council in deterring others from following his past actions and preventing them from finding themselves in a similar predicament. Hannigan, of Stable Close in Kirkham, Lancs, pleaded guilty to participating in fraudulent business as a sole trader, concealing and transferring criminal property, and providing a service contrary to copyright laws. Yesterday (November 7) at Preston Crown Court, he received a two-year sentence suspended for 24 months, along with 250 hours of unpaid work.
