'UK's most prolific catfish' drove a schoolgirl, 12, to suicide

A 'depraved' computer student branded the UK's most prolific 'catfish' drove a 12-year-old girl to take her own life by blackmailing her over social media, a court heard today. 

Alexander McCartney, 26, used Snapchat and other sites to dupe children into thinking he was a young girl himself, tricking at least 70 victims living all over the world into handing over intimate photos.

But in an unprecedented campaign of online exploitation which caused 'unquantifiable' harm he is suspected to have preyed on thousands of girls, aged as young as ten.

After taunting victims that they had been 'catfished', McCartney - who operated from the bedroom of his family home in rural Northern Ireland - would then blackmail them into carrying out 'degrading and humiliating' acts.

Horrifically, one girl living overseas took her own life with her father's gun rather than submit to his online demands, Belfast Crown Court heard.

After tricking her into sharing intimate photos by using the profile name Sarah 131X, McCartney threatened to send them to her family unless she complied with further sick demands, prosecutor David McDowell, KC, said.

Despite the 'terrified and distraught' girl pleading to be left alone, McCartney persisted, saying he would start 'spreading' the photos otherwise.

Begging him not to, the 12-year-old messaged saying: 'I will shoot myself..'

Cruelly, McCartney responded by beginning a countdown, adding: 'Goodbye and good luck.'

Soon after the chat ended, Mr McDowell said the girl's younger sister heard what she thought was a balloon popping.

She went into their parents' bedroom where she found her sister on the floor with a gunshot wound to the head.

The prosecutor said she had used her father's handgun.

The court was told that 18 months after the suicide her father, overcome by guilt and grief, took his own life.

She cannot currently be identified under Northern Irish legislation which grants anonymity to victims of sex offences for 25 years after their death.

In what is thought to be a legally unprecedented move, McCartney was later charged with her manslaughter despite never having met her and living in a different country.

He later admitted the offence along with a further 184 counts including blackmail and child sexual abuse.

A victim impact statement from the dead girl's grandfather was read out in court saying the family had been robbed of 'seeing her graduate and attend a prom'.

McCartney sat looking at the floor with his hands covering his ears when his offending was spelt out in court.

The former Ulster University final year student has been on remand in prison since 2019 when he was arrested after police launched an investigation when a girl in Scotland complained she was the victim of catfishing.

The term refers to a person who takes on a fake identity to gain the trust of someone.

As well as manslaughter, McCartney has pleaded guilty to 59 counts of online blackmail involving over 70 other victims from 2015 to 2019.

Girls he targeted lived in Britain, Australia, New Zealand and the US.

But the court was told 'many, many more victims' have not been identified.

Some were said to be struggling with their sexuality, and he preyed on their vulnerability.

'He preyed on their insecurity,' said Mr McDowell, adding there was an 'escalation' in the 'depravity' of his demands.

The prosecutor said McCartney 'primarily' used Snapchat to target girls, using names including Chloe, Sarah and Hannah, but also Instagram and other messenger sites.

He used his technical knowledge as a computer science student to carry out his crimes, he added.

They were then blackmailed into carrying out what the prosecutor described as 'degrading and humiliating' acts - some involving siblings or family pets.

McCartney, who lived near Newry, told one girl he would come to her house and rape her if she didn't comply, while others resorted to self-harming.

One was ordered to write her on her body with a marker pen the word's 'Alex's f*** toy.'

One girl he blackmailed said she hoped McCartney would be locked up for the rest of his life, adding: 'I hope he gets what he deserves.'

Defence barrister Greg Barry KC said there was no other word to describe McCartney's actions other than 'horrific'.

Mr Justice O'Hara adjourned the hearing and said McCartney will be sentenced next week.

McCartney's betrayal has been condemned by Snapchat as 'horrific'.

It previously said it had put in place extra protections for under-18s since his crimes were committed.

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