‘Depraved’ catfish blackmailed scores of children into taking part in sex acts

A tribunal has heard details of the ‘depraved’ actions of a Northern Irish antheral astatine the centre of 1 of UK’s biggest catfishing cases.

Alexander McCartney, 26, pleaded blameworthy to manslaughter aft a 12-year-old miss from extracurricular the UK took her ain life portion being blackmailed by him.

McCartney is accused of catfishing astatine slightest 70 children, mostly girls betwixt the property of 10 to 16, and blackmailing them into committing horrific acts of intersexual degradation.

He has antecedently admitted 185 charges but astatine a sentencing proceeding successful Belfast, the tribunal was told determination are ‘many, galore much victims’ who person not been identified.

Catfishing involves utilizing a fake individuality online to befriend and exploit victims.

McCartney encountered his victims by posing arsenic a teenage miss connected Snapchat and befriending susceptible girls who were said to beryllium struggling with their sexuality from astir the world.

After gaining their spot done flattery, helium convinced them to nonstop him compromising pictures of themselves, earlier blackmailing the children into committing humiliating intersexual acts by threatening to people the images online.

Some of his sick demands included forcing victims to execute intersexual acts connected their young siblings, and connected astatine slightest 1 occasion, adjacent a dog.

The offences took spot betwixt 2014 to 2019 with victims being identified each implicit the world, including Australia, New Zealand and the US.

His victims tended to beryllium young girls betwixt the ages of 10 to 16, and connected 1 juncture helium threatened to travel to the girl’s location and rape her if she did not comply.

McCartney, who started offending erstwhile helium was conscionable a teen, has been connected remand successful Maghaberry Prison since 2019.

He has pleaded blameworthy to manslaughter, 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.

Prosecuting barrister David McDowell KC told the tribunal that the offending McCartney had amounted to astatine slightest 70 victims.

Judge Mr Justice O’Hara asked if 70 was a minimum number.

Mr McDowell said: ‘There are many, galore much victims, successful each likelihood. The sentencing workout is confined to those victims, but the suspected fig is much, overmuch higher than that.’

He said McCartney’s victims had been ‘degraded and humiliated’ and the harm helium caused them was ‘unquantifiable’.

Mr MacDowell added: ‘He targeted young girls who were either cheery oregon exploring their sexuality with different girls by posing arsenic a young teenage miss who was struggling with assemblage representation and her sexuality and reaching retired to others with akin issues, preying connected their insecurity.’

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

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He said: ‘Chat conversations recovered from his devices marque for the astir disturbing speechmaking for immoderate right-minded idiosyncratic and much truthful for immoderate parent.

‘They beg him to halt and plead for assurances their images volition not beryllium enactment connected the net oregon sent to friends and household members.

‘Many are crying and archer him they are shaking.

’Some of the victims told him they would termination themselves arsenic they pleaded with him to permission them alone.

‘Others, successful desperation, threatened to harm themselves, immoderate doing truthful connected camera.’

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

The barrister said McCartney had been arrested respective times betwixt 2016 and 2019 but continued to offend contempt bail conditions.

He said: ‘Indeed, arsenic clip went connected determination was an escalation successful the seriousness of his behaviour successful the signifier of the depravity of the demands helium made of the taxable children.’

Mr McDowell said a 12-year-old killed herself successful May 2018 aft helium blackmailed her and tried to get her to impact her younger sister successful enactment acts.

When the miss pleaded with him to stop, the tribunal was told that helium threatened to nonstop intersexual images of her to her father.

The barrister said that aft the girl’s death, her begetter ‘lost involvement successful life’ and killed himself 18 months later.

Mr McDowell said the prosecution did not judge McCartney’s assertion that helium had started offending aft becoming a unfortunate of catfishing himself.

Defence barrister Greg Berry KC told the court: ‘It is not hyperbole to picture this lawsuit arsenic rather horrific, but adjacent successful the astir horrific cases the tribunal is bound to look and spot if determination are mitigating features connected behalf of a defendant.’

He pointed retired that his lawsuit had pleaded guilty, had shown remorse and had nary erstwhile transgression record.

Mr Justice O’Hara said helium would present the condemnation adjacent week.

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