The heartless abuser at the centre of the world’s largest ’catfishing’ scandals has been sentenced to life with a minimum of 20 years in prison at Belfast Crown Court for his crimes.
Alexander McCartney, a man detectives describe as a ‘disgusting child predator’, admitted 185 charges involving 70 child victims, but it is believed that there are “many, many more victims” who have not been identified.
The 26-year-old from the Lissummon Road outside Newry, carried out his twisted abuse between 2013 and 2019.
Many of the victims were under 13-years-old.
McCartney used Snapchat to lure his young victims into sharing images and to incite them to commit sexual acts.
Detective Chief Superintendent Eamonn Corrigan said: “Today 26 year old Alexander McCartney has been sentenced for 185 charges on online child sexual abuse crimes and blackmail along with one manslaughter charge.
“In March 2019 we were contacted by Police Scotland about a report of a 13 year old girl that had been groomed by an adult suspect believed to be residing in Northern Ireland.
“64 devices where then seized on covering hundreds of thousand of indecent photos and videos and the fake digital account McCartney was using. He would groom victims into believing they were talking online with a girl of a similar age, before encouraging them to send indecent images or engage in sexual activity via webcam or a mobile phone.
“Later, sharing these online for the pleasure of other paedophiles and using them to further threaten the children. One of his victims, a 12 year old girl from Virginia, tragically took her own life with a legally held handgun.
“During online contact with McCartney he began his offending as a late teenager and has caused serious and long lasting harm on victims and their families spanning worldwide. As far as I’m concerned, there is only one place for him, and that is behind bars.
“I hope that this serves as a warning to those operating online and hiding behind fake accounts and firewalls.
“You will be caught and you will face the full force of the law when you are.”
Following initial interviews with Police and delving into the files located on his devices, it became clear that McCartney’s offending spanned not only right across the United Kingdom, but across the world. Working with colleagues in Homeland Security, the Public Prosecution Service and National Crime Agency, victims were located in America, New Zealand and at least 28 other countries.
He used the same behaviour pattern every time to groom victims into believing they were talking online with a girl of a similar age. Regularly, taking on the identity of previous girls he had abused, using their illegally obtained images to catfish others.
He would then encourage them to send indecent images of themselves or engage in sexual activity online. Then threatening to share these images online for the pleasure of other pedophiles and use them to further abuse and harass the already terrified and exploited children.
On one harrowing occasion it took McCartney only nine minutes to groom, sexually abuse and blackmail a girl of only 12 years of age.
Many of these children were too afraid to speak to their parents and guardians about the abuse, only identified through the evidence Detectives located on McCartney’s devices and the diligence and determination of the officers.
“Alexander McCartney committed some horrific and disturbing crimes and deserves every minute he serves in prison,” said Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.
“His wretched conduct tragically led to a child in West Virginia taking her own life. We are thankful that our law enforcement partners in Northern Ireland saw fit to apprehend and charge McCartney for his role in the girl’s death.
“Their investigation and prosecution of this case were nothing short of brilliant. HSI Washington, D.C. will continue to work with our law enforcement partners, at home and abroad, to ensure that detestable criminal actors like McCartney answer for their transgressions.”
