Online Predator Killer "Robbed Us of Our Granddaughter" BBC: Distressing Info. Child Abuse
Online killer McCartney 'robbed us of granddaughter,' BBC News, Oct. 25, 2024.
WARNING: This article contains distressing details relating to extreme child abuse, suicide and strong language.
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Cimarron Thomas was 12 years old in 2018 when she used her father's handgun to kill herself. From West Virginia, USA, she played the violin, she loved elephants and chatting with her friends on Snapchat, and she was looking forward to her 13th birthday. But she was being sexually abused and blackmailed online by a student from Northern Ireland, described as the UK's most prolific catfisher.
Alexander McCartney, 26, from outside Newry, County Armagh, has been given a life sentence with a minimum of 20 years in jail for the manslaughter of Cimarron and the extreme sexual exploitation of other young girls.
In a tragic turn of events, Cimarron’s father, Ben, a US army veteran, took his own life 18 months later. He did not know about his daughter's abuse or why she took her own life.
Cimarron's grandparents, Peggy and Dale Thomas, detailed their pain in a victim impact statement read out in court. "Our lives will never be the same again," they said. "We didn’t get to see her graduate, walk down the aisle, or have children. "We have been robbed, and our lives have been changed forever.” Cimarron Thomas lived with her mum, dad, and siblings. They were an ordinary American family, but in 2018, a predator was about to bring destruction to their lives.
Using a fake persona, McCartney contacted her online, complimented her on her appearance, and began grooming her before she sent him an intimate photo. The court heard that during the first abusive interaction, he kept her online for an hour and 45 minutes, demanding sexual and degrading images. He told her if she didn't send him more photos, he'd publish the ones he already had on the internet. Cimarron went back to school and did not tell anyone about the abuse...
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2yj24xge1o
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