Snapchat has branded the case of online abuser Alexander McCartney as “horrific” as a new image emerged of the man at the centre of one of the largest and longest ever ‘catfishing’ investigations.
The United States-headquartered social media giant said its “hearts go out” to the victims after the 25-year-old pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of a 12-year-old girl who took her own life and more than 180 other charges.
McCartney used Snapchat to lure his young victims, many of them under 13, into sharing images and to incite them to commit sexual acts.
Snapchat, one of the most popular methods of communication among teenagers, is attractive to predators as messages and images disappear after being sent while the maximum amount of time these remain on main frame servers is 30 days if it is not opened.
In a statement following the guilty pleas by McCartney, from Lissummon Road north of Newry in Co Armagh, and ahead of his sentencing, the company said it works with police and used proactive techniques to detect abusers
Snapchat said it “offered confidential in-app reporting tools to prevent this type of abuse”.
“We also have extra protections in place for under 18s, including a pop-up warning if they are contacted by someone they don’t know, and our Family Centre which allows parents to see who their teens are talking to,” a spokesperson told the BBC.
McCartney pleaded guilty to manslaughter, some details of which emerged at Belfast Crown Court on Monday after reporting restrictions were lifted.
He previously pleaded guilty to 59 counts of blackmail, dozens of charges linked to producing and distributing indecent photographs and a total of 70 charges of inciting children to engage in sexual activity. The charges cover the years from 2013 and 2019.
While messages are deleted, metadata showing who you messaged, when and how often is saved by Snapchat and can be shared with law enforcement.
Further, Snapchat can respond to requests to monitor, keep and share messages with law enforcement if lawfully requested. Information can also be discovered if messages are saved by other users while forensic analysis of a suspect’s devices can also lead to the retrieval of data.
McCartney will be sentenced following a hearing on May 16. Victim impact statements are being prepared for submission while Mr Justice John O’Hara also wants details of all the victims and offences.
The investigation into his activities was one of the largest of its kind ever in the world, beginning in 2018.
