A Northern Irish man whose online catfishing caused the death of a 12-year-old American girl has been sentenced to 20 years-to-life in prison. Alexander McCartney, 26, admitted to 185 charges involving 70 children, but police estimate he may have upwards of 3,500 victims. McCartney posed as a teenage girl on social media to befriend young girls globally, procure illicit images from them, and then blackmail them into performing sex acts. He is believed to be the U.K.’s “most prolific catfish offender,” according to The Irish Times. Cimarron Thomas of West Virginia died by suicide in May 2018 after refusing McCartney’s demands to involve her younger sister in sex acts. Her father, Ben Thomas, died by suicide 18 months later. McCartney previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter because of Thomas’ death. His offenses cover a period from 2014 to 2019, and he has been in prison since 2019. He was also arrested several times between 2016 and 2019 but continued to offend.
If you or a loved one are struggling with suicidal thoughts, please reach out to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing or texting 988.
Read it at The Irish Times
