Cimarron Thomas: Online killer 'robbed us of our granddaughter'

BBC News NI looks at the some of the victims behind the man dubbed the UK's most prolific catfisher.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatchHomeNewsUS ElectionSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifyUS ElectionElection pollsKamala HarrisDonald TrumpJD VanceTim WalzSportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessWomen at the HelmFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsUS ElectionSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveAudioWeatherNewslettersOnline killer McCartney 'robbed us of granddaughter'Dale ThomasCimarron Thomas, 12, lived in West Virginia but was abused by McCartney from a room in Northern IrelandWARNING: This article contains distressing details relating to extreme child abuse, suicide and strong language.

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.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2yj24xge1o

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