A Northern Ireland court has sentenced Alexander McCartney, 26, to life imprisonment for his role in a series of severe online exploitation crimes that led a 12-year-old girl in the United States to take her own life.
McCartney, a prolific “catfish” predator, posed as a young girl on social media, manipulating and blackmailing young victims worldwide, primarily through Snapchat.
McCartney, who pleaded guilty to 185 charges affecting 70 children across multiple countries, must serve a minimum of 20 years before becoming eligible for parole.
Detective Chief Superintendent Eamonn Corrigan from the Police Service of Northern Ireland described McCartney as a “vile predator” whose offenses were committed on an “industrial scale.”
Corrigan explained that McCartney began his abuse as a teenager from his bedroom in Newry, Northern Ireland, creating what he called a “paedophile enterprise.”
“Sitting in his childhood bedroom in Newry (in Northern Ireland), he began his offending as a late teenager and built what can only be described as a paedophile enterprise.
“McCartney is a dangerous, relentless, cruel paedophile,” he told reporters outside court.
Among his many victims was Cimarron Thomas from West Virginia, who took her life in May 2018 after McCartney coerced her into explicit acts and pressured her to involve her younger sister.
Tragically, Cimarron’s father, Ben Thomas, also died by suicide 18 months later.
In Belfast Crown Court, McCartney admitted to manslaughter charges related to Cimarron’s death.
McCartney also faces 59 blackmail charges, several counts of producing and sharing indecent images, and numerous charges of inciting minors to participate in inappropriate acts, with victims not only in the United States but also in Australia and New Zealand.
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