Online Killer Sentenced To Life In Jail

Uploaded on 2024-10-26 in NEWS-Cybersecurity News, GOVERNMENT-Law Enforcement, FREE TO VIEW

Police have identified victims in 30 countries in one of the biggest investigations into catfishing, or sexual extortion, in the world. The police found victims aged between 10 and 16 in the UK, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Prosecutors said the perpetrator had targeted around 3,500 children.

The investigation into the horrific case of Alexander McCartney, who drove one girl to suicide, is one of the biggest into 'catfishing' undertaken. McCartney has now been given a jail life sentence with a minimum of 20 years, for the manslaughter of one child and the extreme sexual exploitation of other youngsters.

The term 'catfishing' describes when a person takes information and images from other people, and uses them to create a new identity for themselves. In some cases, a catfisher steals another individual's complete identity - including their image, date of birth, and geographical location and pretends that it is their own.

McCartney pretended to be a teenage girl and carried out attacks on thousands of female victims whom he contacted on social media platforms including Snapchat.

In this case, Cimarron Thomas, located 3,000 miles away in West Virfginia, was 12 years old in 2018 when she used her father's gun to kill herself after she had been abused and blackmailed online by McCartney from Newry in Northern Ireland, who is described as the UK's most prolific catfisher.

Using a fake identity, McCartney contacted Thomas online, complimented her on her appearance, and began grooming her before she sent him an intimate photo. The court heard that during the first abusive interaction, he kept her online for an hour and 45 minutes, demanding degrading sexual images. He told her if she didn't send him more photos, he'd publish the ones he already had on the Internet.

McCartney continued to pursue Cimarron and contacted her again a few days later using another fake account, saying: “I want to play one more time.” but Cimarron refused and said she would rather kill herself. McCartney then put up a countdown clock, telling her "goodbye and good luck". Minutes later, Cimarron was found by her nine-year-old sister, who entered the room after she thought she heard a balloon pop and found that she had shot and killed herself using the family's legal firearm.

In an entirely separate incident in 2017, British teenager, Molly Russel, killed herself after viewing material about self-harm, suicide and depression, on social media sites like Instagram and Pinterest.

In court, McCartney admitted 59 counts of blackmail, dozens of charges related to making and distributing indecent photographs and scores of charges of inciting children to engage in sexual activity. McCartney, who carried out his crimes from the bedroom of his childhood home, pleaded guilty to 185 charges involving 70 children, including the manslaughter charge.

At Belfast Crown Court, judge John O’Hara sentenced him to life with no chance of parole for 20 years.

BBC | AP News | Guardian | Irish News | ITV | LBC | BreakingNews.ie

Image: Pixabay

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