Alexander McCartney: Catfish killer brought down by one phone call
One Call Uncovered Catfish Killer's Crimes
Alexander McCartney has been sentenced to life in prison for his numerous offenses.
In 2019, a 13-year-old girl from Scotland made a phone call that played a crucial role in the arrest of a social media predator considered one of the most notorious child sex offenders worldwide.
Alexander McCartney, hailing from Northern Ireland, posed as a teenage girl to gain the trust of children globally. He then exploited them through abuse and blackmail, frequently distributing images to other offenders.
A few of the kids were only four years old. Many of them had never shared their experiences with anyone until the police came to their home.
McCartney eventually confessed to 185 charges, including manslaughter, following the tragic suicide of a 12-year-old girl whom he had been abusing.
He has received a prison sentence of at least 20 years.
"What Actions Did The Police Take?"
After receiving communication from the police in Scotland, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) launched an emergency investigation in March 2019.
Investigators tracked down the residence of Alexander McCartney, took him into custody, and questioned him.
During four separate raids at his home in the rural area of Lissummon Road, just outside Newry, authorities confiscated sixty-four of McCartney's devices.
The devices contained countless explicit images and videos of underage girls engaged in sexual activities, all under the pressure of blackmail.
McCartney created and operated several bogus accounts on social media, particularly on Snapchat, to deceive and control them.
PSNI Detective Chief Superintendent Eamonn Corrigan stated that McCartney's criminal activities were occurring at an alarming rate.
He manipulated victims into believing they were conversing online with a girl of a similar age, then persuaded them to share inappropriate images or participate in sexual activities through a webcam or mobile phone.
The detective noted that McCartney consistently followed the same approach, stating, "He made threats to post these images online for the gratification of other predators, intending to use them to continue abusing and tormenting the already scared and vulnerable children."
In one case, McCartney managed to groom, sexually exploit, and extort a 12-year-old girl in just nine minutes.
Cimarron Thomas was discovered by her nine-year-old sister after she accidentally shot herself while interacting with McCartney online.
As time passed, it became evident that McCartney's immoral behavior extended beyond the UK to a global scale. His actions involved not only other individuals but also family pets and various objects.
The PSNI collaborated with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Public Prosecution Service, and the National Crime Agency. They were able to find victims in the United States, New Zealand, and more than 28 other countries.
A number of these children were discovered solely thanks to the information that investigators found on McCartney's devices.
The police stated that he created a network centered around child exploitation and had taken away the innocence of his victims.
Young girls were subjected to deeply disturbing threats.
PPS Learns About A Catfisher
In the spring of 2019, authorities reached out to Catherine Kierans, who was serving as the interim leader of the serious crime division within the Public Prosecution Service.
They mentioned that something significant was happening... and it had to do with catfishing.
Catfishing occurs when someone establishes a fake persona to win over people's trust and take advantage of them.
Ms. Kierans stated that young girls, typically around 10 to 12 years old, are facing extremely disturbing threats.
She mentioned that while some of the children who experienced exploitation had shared their stories of abuse, others chose not to speak about it.
A few of the kids had alerted authorities, which played a crucial role in helping the police recognize him initially.
"However, there were a few children who had kept their experiences to themselves until the police came and knocked on the door."
Ms. Kierans stated that McCartney was constantly causing offense.
Manslaughter: Setting A New Precedent
Cimarron Thomas passed away at the young age of 12.
As the investigation unfolded worldwide, Ms. Kierans noted that prosecutors recognized that McCartney had been diligent in preserving the images.
In some instances, he would take a screenshot of the location map on Snapchat showing where the child was, which then helped the police track down the kids.
His court appearance in 2021 was postponed after authorities found out about the tragic suicide of a young girl in West Virginia, USA.
"Right from the start, the extent of the abuse was so unimaginable that we worried about the well-being of these children once they were discovered," Ms. Kierans expressed.
Sadly, our greatest concerns came true when we found out, not long after starting, that one of the young girls had ended her life.
By collaborating closely with U.S. authorities, we managed to demonstrate that the child ended her own life while she was being abused, and that this occurred while she was still in an online conversation with McCartney.
At that moment, the child's death was so closely connected to the abuse that we believed we had a solid argument to claim that he was responsible for her death.
The young girl, Cimarron Thomas, was just 12 years old when she accidentally shot herself during the time that McCartney was mistreating her in 2018.
McCartney faced charges of causing someone's death.
Ms. Kierans stated that this case is thought to be the first instance in the world where an abuser has been held responsible for manslaughter, despite the fact that the victim and the offender never met face-to-face.
The case was so significant that prosecutors needed to be careful in deciding which charges to bring.
"We weren't able to include 3,000 charges in the indictment,” Ms. Kierans stated.
“In total, there were around 200 charges involving approximately 70 victims, making this one of the most significant indictments we've observed in Northern Ireland.”
McCartney went to Newry High School and had a passion for gaming.
McCartney was raised about five miles away from Newry, not far from the main road leading to Armagh city.
It's as countryside as it can be, featuring farms, a church, and a handful of local shops.
When he showed up at Newry Magistrate’s Court for the first time in July 2019, he was only 21 years old. With his long, messy hair and a bewildered expression, it was clear he was taken aback by being in that situation.
He has been held in Maghaberry Prison for over five years, only leaving for court appearances and additional police inquiries.
During those hearings, he spoke very little aside from confirming his name and date of birth, while quietly admitting guilt over time.
Here are a few of the messages that McCartney shared with his victims on Snapchat.
"He's Not Extraordinary At All"
McCartney went to Newry High School and had a passion for gaming.
A source shared with BBC News NI: "He was reserved and had difficulty in social situations. He didn’t engage with many people beyond his circle of friends."
He might have been on the outskirts of things, but he had friends who clearly had no idea about it.
He then enrolled in a course at Southern Regional College in Newry, where he was characterized as someone who was "reserved and didn't engage much with his classmates."
By the time he was formally charged in 2019, he was studying computer science at Ulster University.
For the people who reside in and near his hometown, the situation has been distressing.
"Everyone in the area was in shock," remarked a local.
“It began with quiet rumors, followed by a sense of disbelief. I’m certain that conversations happen in private, but the topic remains largely unaddressed in public because people are unsure of how to talk about it.”
Another person remarked, "He seemed like a friendly, approachable, and smart young man."
"There's nothing particularly special about him."
What’s truly shocking is the scale of his wrongdoing. A lot of his victims had asked him to halt the abuse, yet prosecutors stated that he "heartlessly persisted, sometimes even pressuring the victims to involve younger children, some as young as four."
Alexander McCartney was described as being unyielding and merciless.
Catherine Kierans noted that McCartney's actions were extremely disturbing, describing them as "one of the most troubling and widespread cases of child sexual abuse we've encountered in the PPS."
Ms. Kierans mentioned that there are still some victims who remain unidentified, even after extensive efforts by the police.
"McCartney's actions have affected numerous children, leaving them and their families to cope with the painful consequences," she stated.
Their bravery sharply contrasts with his cowardice in preying on defenseless young girls.
For more resources and assistance for individuals impacted by this story, you can check out the BBC Action Line.
