LONDON — A relentless and cruel online predator has been sentenced to at least 20 years in prison following his conviction for the manslaughter of a victim who tragically took her own life. The case has drawn attention due to the nature of his crimes and the global reach of his actions.

Alexander McCartney, 26, hailing from Newry, Northern Ireland, created a false persona by pretending to be a teenage girl. He targeted approximately 3,500 female victims through various social media platforms, primarily Snapchat, employing a tactic known as catfishing. This deceptive practice involves using a fictitious online identity to exploit individuals for personal gain. Authorities reported that McCartney coaxed victims into sharing intimate photographs or engaging in sexual acts, subsequently blackmailing them by threatening to release the acquired images.

One of the most heart-wrenching instances involved a 12-year-old girl from West Virginia who took her life in May 2018 during an online discussion with McCartney, who was pressuring her for sexual activities. The girl’s father was also reported to have died by suicide eighteen months later, indicating the profound impact of the situation. Prosecutors note that this may be the first recorded instance of someone being convicted of manslaughter when the victim and perpetrator never met in person.

Catherine Kieran, the acting Head of the Northern Ireland Public Prosecution Service Serious Crime Unit, stated that the prosecution team worked closely with law enforcement to establish that McCartney’s actions directly contributed to the girl’s tragic death, thereby holding him accountable for manslaughter.

Law enforcement officials have identified victims from 30 different countries, including nations such as Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. McCartney committed these offenses from his childhood bedroom and eventually pleaded guilty to a total of 185 charges involving 70 children, including the manslaughter charge. During a hearing at Belfast Crown Court, Judge John O’Hara imposed a life sentence, denying him the possibility of parole for 20 years.

The judge commented on the unprecedented nature of the case, noting, “To my knowledge, there has not been a case such as the present where a defendant has used social media on an industrial scale to inflict such terrible and catastrophic damage.” Detective Chief Superintendent Eamonn Corrigan of the Police Service of Northern Ireland echoed the severity of McCartney’s actions outside of court, labeling him a “relentless and cruel” pedophile.

“This is an individual whose actions have caused unimaginable devastation and stolen childhoods,” Corrigan remarked. “There was nothing that could have thwarted his actions, except for locking him up.”