Alexander McCartney: Catfish killer brought down by one phone call
One Call Toppled Catfish Killer’s Reign
Alexander McCartney has been sentenced to life in prison for a series of offenses.
Fiona Murray and Cormac Campbell
In 2019, a 13-year-old girl from Scotland made a phone call that ultimately helped authorities catch a social media predator known for being one of the most notorious child sex offenders in the world.
Alexander McCartney, hailing from Northern Ireland, posed as a teenage girl in order to connect with and exploit children across the globe. He not only engaged in abusive behavior but also blackmailed his victims, frequently sharing explicit images with other offenders.
Some of the children were as young as four years old. Many had never shared their experiences with anyone until the police arrived at their homes.
McCartney eventually acknowledged 185 offenses, including manslaughter, after the 12-year-old girl he was mistreating ended her life.
He will serve at least 20 years in prison.
What Actions Did The Police Take?
After receiving a communication from the police in Scotland, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) launched an immediate investigation in March 2019.
Investigators tracked down Alexander McCartney's residential address, took him into custody, and conducted an interview with him.
In four different raids, authorities confiscated sixty-four of McCartney's gadgets from his residence located in the countryside near Lissummon Road, just outside of Newry.
These devices contained hundreds of thousands of inappropriate images and videos of underage girls engaging in sexual activities while being coerced.
McCartney created numerous fake accounts on various online platforms, primarily Snapchat, to deceive and control others.
The PSNI Detective Chief Superintendent Eamonn Corrigan stated that McCartney had been involved in extensive criminal activities.
He manipulated his victims into believing they were chatting online with a girl of a similar age, then urged them to share explicit images or participate in sexual activities through a webcam or phone.
The detective pointed out that McCartney followed the same method repeatedly, stating: "He made threats to post these images online for the entertainment of other predators, aiming to continue the abuse and intimidation of children who were already scared and vulnerable."
In one case, McCartney managed to groom, sexually exploit, and extort a 12-year-old girl in a mere nine minutes.
Photo credit: Dale Thomas
Cimarron Thomas was discovered by her nine-year-old sister after she accidentally shot herself while interacting online with McCartney.
As time passed, it became evident that McCartney's immoral actions were not limited to the UK; they extended globally. His abuse involved not only individuals but also included family pets and various objects.
The PSNI collaborated with partners from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Public Prosecution Service, and the National Crime Agency. They were able to identify victims in the United States, New Zealand, and more than 28 other countries.
A lot of these kids were discovered thanks to the information that investigators found on McCartney's devices.
The police stated that he created a network focused on exploiting children and took away the innocence of those he victimized.
'Young girls faced intimidation in an incredibly disturbing manner.'
PPS Learns About A Catfish Scammer
In the spring of 2019, the police reached out to Catherine Kierans, who was serving as the acting leader of the serious crime unit at the Public Prosecution Service.
They mentioned that something significant was happening and it had to do with deception online through fake identities.
Catfishing involves someone pretending to be someone they're not in order to build trust with others and take advantage of them.
Ms. Kierans reported that young girls, typically around 10 to 12 years old, were facing threats in extremely disturbing manners.
She mentioned that while some of the children who had been taken advantage of had shared their experiences of mistreatment, others chose not to speak out.
A few of the kids alerted authorities, which played a crucial role in enabling the police to recognize him initially.
"However, there were certain children who had never shared their experiences with anyone until the police came and knocked on the door."
Ms. Kierans stated that McCartney was constantly causing offense.
Manslaughter: Setting A Legal Precedent
Photo credit: Family provided this image.
Cimarron Thomas passed away at the young age of 12.
As the inquiry expanded internationally, Ms. Kierans noted that prosecutors discovered McCartney had been quite diligent in preserving the images.
In some instances, he would also store the Snapchat map showing the child's location, which allowed the police to find the children.
His court appearance in 2021 was postponed because authorities found the body of a young girl who had taken her own life in West Virginia, USA.
"Right from the start, the extent of the mistreatment was so alarming that we worried about whether the children would be alright once they were recognized," Ms. Kierans stated.
Sadly, our greatest fears came true when we found out, partway through, that one of the young girls had ended her own life.
By collaborating closely with the American authorities, we successfully demonstrated that the child ended her life while she was still being subjected to abuse and was connected online with McCartney at the time.
At that moment, the child’s death was so closely tied to the abuse that we were confident we could argue that he was responsible for her death.
The young girl was 12-year-old Cimarron Thomas, who accidentally shot herself in 2018 while being harmed by McCartney.
McCartney faced a charge of involuntary manslaughter.
Ms. Kierans remarked that this is thought to be the first instance globally in which an abuser has been charged with manslaughter, even though the victim and the offender have never interacted face-to-face.
The case was so significant that prosecutors needed to be careful and thoughtful about the charges they brought.
"We weren't able to include 3,000 charges in the indictment," said Ms. Kierans.
Ultimately, there were roughly 200 offenses linked to about 70 victims, making this one of the most significant indictments we have witnessed in Northern Ireland.
McCartney went to Newry High School and had a passion for gaming.
McCartney spent his childhood about five miles from Newry, just off the main route leading to Armagh city.
It's as countryside as you can imagine. There are farms, a church, and a handful of shops.
When he made his initial appearance at Newry Magistrate’s Court in July 2019, he was only 21 years old, sporting long, unkempt hair and a wide-eyed expression that suggested he was taken aback to find himself in that situation.
He has been held in Maghaberry Prison for over five years, only leaving for court hearings and additional police interviews.
During the hearings, he mostly remained quiet, only stating his name and birth date while slowly admitting his guilt in a soft voice.
A few of the messages that McCartney shared with his victims on Snapchat.
"He's Just An Ordinary Guy"
McCartney went to Newry High School and had a passion for gaming.
According to a source who spoke to BBC News NI, "He was a reserved individual and struggled with social interactions. He rarely engaged with anyone beyond his close circle of friends."
"He might have been on the outskirts of the situation, but his friends clearly had no idea about it."
He later enrolled in a program at the Southern Regional College in Newry, where he was characterized as "reserved and not very engaged with his classmates."
By the time he was charged in 2019, he was studying computer science at Ulster University.
For the people residing in his neighborhood and the nearby areas, the situation has been extremely distressing.
"Everyone in the area was left in shock," remarked a local resident.
"It began with quiet murmurs, then turned to skepticism. I have no doubt that people are discussing it in their private spaces, but it remains a topic that isn’t openly addressed because many are unsure how to approach it."
One person remarked, "He appeared to be a friendly, charming, and smart young man."
"There's nothing particularly remarkable about him."
What is truly shocking is the scale of his wrongdoing. Many of his victims begged him to put an end to the abuse, yet prosecutors noted that he continued without compassion, sometimes even pressuring the victims to involve younger kids, some as young as four.
Alexander McCartney was known for being unyielding and harsh.
Catherine Kierans stated that McCartney's actions were extremely alarming, describing it as "one of the most troubling and widespread cases of child sexual abuse we've encountered in the PPS."
Ms. Kierans mentioned that despite extensive efforts by law enforcement, some of the victims remain unidentified.
"McCartney's actions have hurt countless children, leaving them and their families to cope with the emotional fallout," she stated.
"Their bravery is a sharp contrast to his lack of courage in preying on defenseless young girls."
For more details and assistance for anyone impacted by this story, please check out the BBC Action Line.
