Prolific catfish abuser Alexander McCartney: NI justice minister Naomi Long hails police and PPS for pursuing case against online predator
The level of depravity, deviousness and utter disregard for his victims of online predator Alexander McCartney was horrifying, the justice minister has said.
Naomi Long was commenting after McCartney, 26, who admitted 185 charges involving 70 children, was given a life sentence with a minimum term of 20 years by Mr Justice O’Hara at Belfast Crown Court on Friday.
McCartney, who posed as a teenage girl to befriend young females on Snapchat before blackmailing them, lured in victims across the world.
Originally from Lissummon Road outside Newry, McCartney is one of the world’s most prolific online catfish offenders. While he was jailed for the charges relating to 70 victims, it is believed that the number of children he abused is about 3,500.
Twelve-year-old Cimarron Thomas, from West Virginia in the US, took her own life in May 2018 rather than comply with McCartney’s demands for her to involve her younger sister in sex acts.
Eighteen months later, her heartbroken father, Ben Thomas, also died by suicide.
McCartney previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter relating to Cimarron’s death.
He also admitted almost 60 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.
Victims were identified all over the world, including Australia, New Zealand and the US.
Ms Long paid tribute to the investigating officers and PPS for pursuing the case "vigorously and thoroughly".
"Those officers and prosecutors have been exposed to things in this case that no person should ever have to see and I want to pay tribute to their fortitude and courage," said the Alliance leader.
"McCartney committed his vile crimes behind a cloak of online anonymity, but through a comprehensive and robust operation across the criminal justice system he has been exposed as the vile and prolific child sexual predator that he truly is."
The justice minister said her thoughts were with the family and friends of Cimarron Thomas.
“She, and McCartney's other victims, deserved never to be exposed to his depravity, cruelty and abuse. Nothing can heal the wounds he has inflicted on his victims and their families, but I hope that seeing him held to account for his actions brings some small comfort to them."
Meanwhile, McCartney’s “relentless” and “disgusting” offending wreaked devastation and stole thousands of childhoods, a senior detective said.
Detective Chief Superintendent Eamonn Corrigan said the offending of the catfish paedophile was on an “industrial scale”.
“McCartney is nothing but a disgusting child predator who was posing as young girls online to groom, manipulate and sexually abuse his victims, as young as four, to satisfy his own sexual perversions and that of other online child sexual offenders,” said Mr Corrigan.
“We have worked tirelessly around the clock on this case with international criminal justice partners to safeguard victims and build a robust case against this man whose offending has shocked communities around the world.
“Sitting in his childhood bedroom in Newry, he began his offending as a late teenager and built what can only be described as a paedophile enterprise.
“He has caused serious and long-lasting harm on what we estimate to be around 3,500 victims and their families.
“As far as I am concerned there is only one place for McCartney and that is behind bars.”