Irish catfish gets life sentence for 185 offences involving 70 young girls - known as 'world's worst catfish'

Alexander McCartney, a 26-year-old man from Co Armagh , has been sentenced to a minimum of 20 years in prison for the manslaughter of a 12-year-old girl and more than 180 other offenses relating to child abuse .

McCartney posed online as a teenage girl to target female children by forming relationships via social media, mainly Snapchat.

The Armagh man pleaded guilty to 185 offenses, including the manslaughter of Cimmaron Thomas from West Virginia in the US, who took her own life as a result of being blackmailed by him .

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As part of a huge global investigation, the PSNI identified victims in Northern Ireland , the Republic of Ireland , Britain, continental Europe, the US, Australia, New Zealand and at least 28 other countries. During his trial sentence, the judge read out the long list of charges McCartney admitted to but said it was not necessary to go into the "full horrors" of the "horrific case."

"In my judgment, it is truly difficult to think of a sexual deviant who poses a greater risk than this defendant," the judge said in court.

The judge, Mr Justice John O'Hara, credited the law enforcement agencies across the world who had worked together to bring McCartney to justice. The sentencing hearing began at 2 p.m. to accommodate victims' families worldwide in different time zones.

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In 2016, McCartney first appeared on the police's radar; when they searched his property and person, they found eight computer towers, four laptops, eight tablets, and nine mobile phones. Four of the devices contained inappropriate images of children.

McCartney has spent five years in prison on remand , and he will serve at least another 15 before being considered for release.

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