A Northern Irish predator who catfished a young girl and drove her to take her own life has been sentenced to at least 20-years behind bars.
Alexander McCartney, 26, previously admitted 185 charges, and Belfast Crown Court heard his victims were aged between 10 and 16.
McCartney, who comes from south Armagh, pretended to be a young girl online in order to persuade his victims to send him images.
He then blackmailed his victims into sending him more graphic material.
Cimarron Thomas, 12, from the US state of West Virginia, took her own life instead of complying with his demands.
Unable to live with the loss of his daughter, her father Ben Thomas, a former US Army veteran, also died by suicide 18 months later.
McCartney, a former computer science student, pleaded guilty to one count of manslaughter, 59 of blackmail, and 70 of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.
Today Newry paedophile catfish Alexander McCartney has become the first in the UK sentenced for manslaughter of a victim in a foreign jurisdiction. Operating online he groomed, abused & blackmailed an estimated 3,500 victims worldwide. More https://t.co/0476ScL4fb pic.twitter.com/qMQtPr4GhX
— Police Service NI (@PoliceServiceNI) October 25, 2024
In his sentencing remarks, Mr Justice O'Hara said he could not think of "a sexual deviant who poses more risk than this defendant”.
“I do not sense remorse or shame,” he said.
Alexander McCartney. Picture by: PSNI.The Police Service of Northern Ireland welcomed today's sentencing and said officers had been "determined" to bring McCartney to justice.
“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," Detective Chief Superintendent Eamonn Corrigan said.
“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.
“He has caused serious and long-lasting harm on what we estimate to be around 3,500 victims and their families. I want to thank those who have come forward today for being so incredibly brave and assisting our investigations."
As McCartney was taken into custody in 2019, he will be eligible for parole in 2039.
Additional reporting from IRN.
