How police snared the catfish killer

It was a cellphone name from a 13-year-old lady in Scotland in 2019 that ultimately led to the seize of a social media predator described as one of many world’s most prolific little one intercourse abusers.

Alexander McCartney from Northern Eire pretended to be a teenage lady to befriend, then abuse and blackmail youngsters world wide, typically sharing photos with different paedophiles.

A few of the youngsters have been as younger as 4. Some had by no means advised anybody what that they had been by means of – till police knocked on their door.

McCartney step by step admitted 185 prices together with manslaughter after a 12-year-old lady he was abusing took her personal life.

He has been jailed for no less than 20 years.

Following contact from police in Scotland, an pressing investigation by the Police Service of Northern Eire (PSNI) swung into operation in March 2019.

Detectives recognized the house handle of Alexander McCartney, arrested and interviewed him.

Sixty-four of McCartney’s units have been seized at his residence within the rural Lissummon Street space exterior Newry in 4 separate raids.

These units held a whole lot of hundreds of indecent photographs and movies of underage women performing sexual acts whereas being blackmailed.

McCartney made and used many pretend accounts on on-line platforms, primarily Snapchat, to entrap and manipulate them.

PSNI Det Ch Supt Eamonn Corrigan mentioned McCartney had been “offending on an industrial scale”.

He groomed victims into considering they have been speaking on-line to a lady of an identical age, earlier than encouraging them to ship indecent photos or have interaction in sexual exercise by way of webcam or a cell phone.

McCartney used the identical sample each time, the detective mentioned, including: “He threatened to share these photos on-line for the pleasure of different paedophiles and use them to additional abuse and harass the already terrified and exploited youngsters.”

In a single incident, it took McCartney simply 9 minutes to groom, sexually abuse and blackmail a lady of solely 12 years of age.

As time went on, it grew to become clear that McCartney’s depravity spanned not simply throughout the UK, however internationally. The abuse included involving different individuals, household pets and objects.

The PSNI labored with colleagues in america Division of Homeland Safety, the Public Prosecution Service and Nationwide Crime Company, and victims have been situated in America, New Zealand and not less than 28 different international locations.

Many of those youngsters have been solely recognized by means of the proof detectives situated on McCartney’s units.

In accordance with the police, he “constructed a paedophile enterprise” and had “stolen childhoods” of his victims.

Within the spring of 2019, police known as Catherine Kierans, appearing head of the Public Prosecution Service’s severe crime unit.

They mentioned one thing “massive was unfolding… it concerned catfishing”.

Catfishing is the place an individual creates a false identification to achieve the belief of individuals and exploit them.

Ms Kierans mentioned little women “a median age of 10-12 years previous [were] being threatened in probably the most wicked method.”

She mentioned a number of the youngsters who had been exploited had beforehand opened up about their abuse, others had remained silent.

“A few of the youngsters had raised the alarm, which helped police to really determine him within the first place.

“However a number of the youngsters, till police knocked the door, that they had by no means advised anybody what they’d been by means of.”

In accordance with Ms Kierans, McCartney offended “across the clock”.

Because the investigation unfold throughout the globe, Ms Kierans mentioned prosecutors realised McCartney had been “very assiduous about saving the pictures”.

“He would additionally save the map on Snapchat of the place the kid was in some circumstances, and that then enabled police to find the youngsters.”

His arraignment in 2021 was delayed as police found the suicide of a bit of lady in West Virginia, USA.

“From the start, the extent of abuse was so horrific that we have been fearful that when these youngsters have been recognized, would they be okay?” Ms Kierans mentioned.

“Sadly, our worst fears have been realised once we found, a way in, that one of many little women had taken her personal life.

“Working carefully with the American authorities, we have been in a position to show that this little one took her personal life through the abuse, when she was nonetheless on-line with McCartney.

“At that time, the demise of the kid was so intrinsically linked to the abuse that we felt we had a robust case to say that he killed her.”

That little lady was 12-year-old Cimarron Thomas who, in 2018, shot herself whereas McCartney was abusing her.

McCartney was charged together with her manslaughter.

Ms Kierans mentioned it’s believed to be the primary time an abuser wherever on this planet has been held accountable for manslaughter the place the sufferer and perpetrator have by no means met in particular person.

Such was the magnitude of the case that prosecutors needed to be considered with the costs.

“We could not put 3,000 prices on the indictment,” Ms Kierans mentioned.

“Ultimately, there have been about 200 prices [relating to around 70 victims] which might be one of many largest indictments that we have seen in Northern Eire.”

McCartney grew up 5 miles exterior of Newry and simply off the primary street to Armagh metropolis.

It’s about as rural because it will get. Farms, a church and some companies.

When he first appeared at Newry Magistrates’ Courtroom in July 2019 he was simply 21, with lengthy, fuzzy hair and the wide-eyed look of somebody shocked to be sitting the place he was.

He has spent greater than 5 years on remand at Maghaberry Jail – leaving just for courtroom appearances and additional questioning by the police.

In these hearings, he mentioned little apart from to substantiate his title and date of beginning and to step by step enter softly-spoken responsible pleas.

McCartney attended Newry Excessive College and was into gaming.

One supply advised BBC Information NI: “He was introverted and socially awkward. He didn’t work together with individuals a lot exterior of his group of pals.

“He was possibly on the edges of issues, however he had pals who clearly knew nothing about this.”

He then took a course on the Southern Regional School in Newry the place he was described as “quiet and did not actually get entangled with the remainder of the category”.

When he was ultimately charged in 2019 he was a pc science pupil at Ulster College.

For these dwelling in and round his residence, the case has been harrowing.

“The entire place was shocked,” one resident mentioned.

“It was whispers at the beginning, then disbelief. I’m certain individuals discuss it in their very own houses nevertheless it doesn’t get mentioned publicly as individuals don’t know what to say.”

One other mentioned: “He got here throughout as a nice, affable, clever younger man.

“There’s nothing extraordinary about him.”

However what’s extraordinary is the enormity of his offending; a lot of his victims had pleaded for the abuse to cease however prosecutors mentioned he “callously continued, at occasions forcing the victims to contain youthful youngsters, some aged simply 4”.

In accordance with Catherine Kierans, McCartney’s depravity was such that it was “probably the most distressing and prolific circumstances of kid sexual abuse we have now ever seen within the PPS”.

Ms Kierans mentioned a number of the victims have nonetheless by no means been recognized regardless of exhaustive efforts by police.

“McCartney’s crimes have harmed hundreds of youngsters and left them and their households coping with the traumatic aftermath,” she mentioned.

“Their braveness stands in stark distinction to his cowardice in focusing on weak younger women.”

Additional info and assist for these affected by this story can go to the BBC Motion Line.