Catfish abuser who drove girl, 12, to suicide to be sentenced

An online predator from Northern Ireland who drove 1 of his catfish victims successful the US to instrumentality her ain beingness is acceptable to beryllium sentenced.

Alexander McCartney, 26, has admitted 185 charges involving 70 children, though a tribunal has antecedently been told that the existent fig of victims is overmuch higher.

McCartney, who posed arsenic a young miss to befriend different girls connected Snapchat earlier blackmailing them, is believed to beryllium the UK’s astir prolific catfish offender with victims identified crossed the world.

Twelve-year-old Cimarron Thomas from West Virginia successful the US took her ain beingness successful May 2018 alternatively than comply with McCartney’s demands for her to impact her younger sister successful enactment acts.

Eighteen months later, her heartbroken begetter Ben Thomas besides died by suicide.

McCartney has pleaded blameworthy to manslaughter relating to Cimarron’s death.

He besides admitted 59 counts of blackmail, dozens of charges related to making and distributing indecent photographs and scores of charges of inciting children to prosecute successful intersexual activity.

The offences screen a play from 2014 to 2019 with victims being identified each implicit the world, including Australia, New Zealand and the US.

McCartney utilized his method cognition arsenic a machine subject pupil to transportation retired his crimes.

His offending was carried retired from the chamber of his puerility home.

McCartney, primitively from Lissummon Road extracurricular Newry, has been connected remand successful Maghaberry Prison since 2019.

He posed connected the Snapchat societal media level arsenic a teenage miss and befriended susceptible girls aged betwixt 10 and 16 who were cheery oregon exploring their sexuality.

Once helium had secured a representation from his victims, helium would past uncover the “catfish” and blackmailed them into taking portion successful enactment acts.

In immoderate instances, helium demanded his victims impact younger siblings.

McCartney told 1 miss helium would get radical to spell to her location to rape her if she did not comply with his demands.

McCartney was arrested respective times betwixt 2016 and 2019 but continued to offend contempt bail conditions until helium was remanded successful custody.

At a pre-sentence proceeding past week, a prosecuting barrister said McCartney had degraded and humiliated his victims, stating that the harm caused to them was “unquantifiable”.

We person been robbed of those memories. Our lives person changed forever

Grandparents of Cimarron Thomas

The barrister besides work retired parts of a unfortunate interaction connection which had been provided to the tribunal by the grandparents of Cimarron Thomas.

The connection said: “Our lives volition ne'er beryllium the same.

“We didn’t get to spot her graduate, locomotion down the aisle oregon person children.

“We person been robbed of those memories. Our lives person changed forever.”

Mr Justice O’Hara volition condemnation McCartney connected Friday astatine Belfast Crown Court.