A pred*tor who impersonated a young girl to catfish victims has been sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 29 years. Alexander McCartney, 26, from County Armagh, Northern Ireland, admitted to 185 charges involving at least 70 children before his sentencing at Belfast Crown Court on October 25. During most of the proceedings, McCartney kept his head down in the court’s dock, as reported by The Independent.
Regarded as one of the most prolific online child abvsers globally, investigators estimate that he may have targeted up to 3,500 children worldwide. His victims include children from various countries, such as Australia, New Zealand, and the US. Operating from his bedroom at his family home, McCartney posed as a girl on social media to befriend young girls, then blackmailed them.
One trag!c case involved Cimarron Thomas, a 12-year-old from the US, who took her own l!fe in May 2018 rather than comply with McCartney’s demand to involve her younger sister in the abvse. Her father, Ben, also died by su!cide 18 months later. McCartney confessed to mansla*ghter concerning the girl’s death and admitted to 59 counts of blackmail, along with charges of distributing indecent images and inciting children for s*xual activities.
Mr Justice O’Hara stated at Belfast Crown Court that McCartney’s actions scarred childhoods worldwide, describing his crimes as “sadism and depravity.” The judge noted McCartney’s lack of remorse and disregard for pleas for mercy, deeming him a significant threat.
Mr Justice O’Hara commented, “In my judgment, it is truly difficult to think of a s*xual deviant who poses a greater risk than this defendant.” He dismissed McCartney’s claim of having been catfished himself, noting any impact on his actions would be negligible.
The five years McCartney has already spent in custody will count toward his sentence, making him eligible for parole in 2039. Catherine Kierans of the NI Public Prosecution Service highlighted the bravery of McCartney’s victims and their families who had to deal with the trauma left by his actions.
Detective Chief Superintendent Eamonn Corrigan from the Police Service of Northern Ireland described McCartney as “nothing but a disgusting child predator” who groomed, manipulated, and abvsed victims while posing as young girls online. Corrigan emphasized that imprisonment was the only appropriate place for McCartney.