Published25. October 2024, 7:05 p.m
Great Britain: “My toy for this night”: Northern Ireland blackmailed thousands of girls
In England, an internet fraudster has been sentenced to life for blackmailing thousands of girls into sexual acts. One of them committed suicide.
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A Northern Irishman blackmailed thousands of girls into sexual acts.
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One victim even committed suicide.
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He was sentenced to life in prison on Friday.
When a 13-year-old girl in Scotland confessed to her parents that she had been the victim of an online scam, she sparked the UK’s largest catfishing investigation.
Today the perpetrator was sentenced to life in prison, of which he must serve at least 20 years before a sentence reduction can be considered. 26-year-old Alexander McCartney is said to have harmed thousands of underage girls. In one case he even drove his victim and his father to suicide.
Police assume 3,500 victims
McCartney posed as a girl and sought contact with real girls “who were unsure about their sexuality,” primarily on Snapchat, but also on other social media platforms, as the British medium “DailyMail” reported. He ensnared them until he received naked photos of them. He then blackmailed her for his own sexual gratification. «As long as you obey me and do what I say, nothing will happen and I’ll leave you alone after tonight. Understood? You will be my toy for this night,” says a chat history. His victims were between ten and 16 years old.
Police estimate that he caused “severe and long-lasting harm” to around 3,500 victims and their families. The defendant admitted 184 offenses including blackmail and inciting a child to commit sexual acts. He also pleaded guilty to a charge of manslaughter.
“He began his crimes as a teenager from his childhood bedroom in Newry and later set up what can only be described as a pedophile enterprise,” investigators report. “He had a number of devices and operated in different time zones.” Police seized 64 devices and found tens of thousands of images showing underage girls performing sexual acts.
Victim preferred to shoot himself rather than comply
Prosecutor David McDowell described for 90 minutes how McCartney “degraded and humiliated” his victims and showed no mercy when they begged him to stop. In the most extreme case, his recklessness led to death, which is why he was found guilty of manslaughter.
Cimarron Thomas refused his demands and said she would rather shoot herself. Then he just started a countdown and told her “goodbye and good luck.” The girl was found dying by her nine-year-old sister after shooting herself in the head with her father’s gun. Father Ben took his own life 18 months after her death. Cimarron’s mother, Stephanie, suffers from PTSD and, even six years later, cannot bring herself to talk about her daughter’s death.
Are you a minor and affected by sexual violence? Or do you know a child who has experienced sexual violence?
The sizeadvice center for children, teenagers and young adults
Chestnutadvice center for sexual violence in children and young people
Advice centers Victim Support Switzerland
For Youthadvice for children and young people, Tel. 147
Are you a pedophile yourself and don’t want to become a criminal? You can get help from Forio, Beforemore and at the UPK Basel.
Do you have or hat someone you know Suffered trauma?
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