A Northern Ireland man has received a life sentence for several crimes, including manslaughter, per CNN. He reportedly used social media to blackmail and sexually exploit at least 70 minors across various countries.
Alexander McCartney, 26, was sentenced by a judge at Belfast Crown Court on Friday for offenses related to child sexual exploitation, blackmail, and the manslaughter of a 12-year-old girl who took her own life in the United States in 2018 following a
“catfishing”
incident, as stated by Northern Ireland’s Public Prosecution Service (PPS).
Authorities revealed that McCartney posed as a young girl online, befriending his victims and coercing them into sending him nude images.
The victims were then threatened
“into sending him indecent images and videos of themselves, forcing them to engage in depraved and sometimes dangerous sexual acts,”
the statement said.
Targeting approximately 3,500 girls from Northern Ireland, Ireland, Great Britain, the US, and New Zealand, McCartney aimed to
“exploit that vulnerability in the most shocking ways,”
according to Catherine Kierans, acting head of the PPS Serious Crime Unit.
“All McCartney’s victims were young, innocent children”
as young as 10 years old and
“struggling with identity and body image issues and had reached out for help on social media,”
Kierans said.
McCartney pleaded guilty to a total of 185 charges involving 70 victims. He is required to serve a minimum of 20 years in prison before being eligible for parole.
#Clique, what are your thoughts?
