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Alexander McCartney Jailed for Life in UK's Largest Catfishing Case After Admitting Manslaughter

Oct 25, 2024, 02:06 PM

Alexander McCartney, a 26-year-old man from Newry, Northern Ireland, has been sentenced to life imprisonment after admitting 185 charges involving 70 children, including the manslaughter of a 12-year-old American girl. His online abuse, which involved catfishing and sexual extortion, led the girl and her father to take their own lives. McCartney used platforms like Snapchat to threaten his victims, making him one of the UK's most prolific catfish abusers. He was sentenced at Belfast Crown Court and will serve a minimum of 20 years before he is eligible for release. The case is considered one of the largest catfishing investigations in the world.