Catfishing abuser admits girl’s manslaughter

Alexander McCartney, 25, from County Armagh, has admitted manslaughter. He has previously admitted 185 charges involving more than 60 child victims. Victim, who was not from the UK, died in 2018. McCartney will be sentenced in May after the case was adjourned until then.

McCartney, from the rural Lissummon Road area just a few miles outside Newry, first appeared in the city magistrates’ court in late July 2019. He has since been on remand at Maghaberry Prison. As well as the manslaughter charge he has pleaded guilty to 59 counts of blackmail. Police discovered thousands of images of young girls in various states of dress and undress, performing various sexual acts.

McCartney said he would upload an image of the girl from Scotland to the internet if she did not do what he asked. This was a different child to the one who took her own life.

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