Online killer ‘robbed us of our granddaughter’

WARNING: This text accommodates distressing particulars regarding excessive little one abuse, suicide and powerful language.

Cimarron Thomas was 12 years outdated in 2018 when she used her father’s handgun to kill herself.

From West Virginia, USA, she performed the violin, she beloved elephants and chatting along with her buddies on Snapchat, and she or he was trying ahead to her thirteenth birthday.

However she was being sexually abused and blackmailed on-line by a scholar from Northern Eire, described because the UK’s most prolific catfisher.

Alexander McCartney, 26, from outdoors Newry, County Armagh, has been given a life sentence with a minimum of 20 years in jail for the manslaughter of Cimarron and the acute sexual exploitation of different younger women.

In a tragic flip of occasions, Cimarron’s father, Ben, a US military veteran, took his personal life 18 months later. He didn’t learn about his daughter’s abuse or why she took her personal life.

Cimarron’s grandparents, Peggy and Dale Thomas, detailed their ache in a sufferer affect assertion learn out in court docket.

“Our lives won’t ever be the identical once more,” they mentioned.

“We didn’t get to see her graduate, stroll down the aisle, or have youngsters.

“We now have been robbed, and our lives have been modified eternally.”

Cimarron Thomas lived along with her mum, dad, and siblings.

They had been an bizarre American household, however in 2018, a predator was about to convey destruction to their lives.

Utilizing a pretend persona, McCartney contacted her on-line, complimented her on her look, and commenced grooming her earlier than she despatched him an intimate picture.

The court docket heard that through the first abusive interplay, he stored her on-line for an hour and 45 minutes, demanding sexual and degrading photographs.

He advised her if she did not ship him extra pictures, he’d publish those he already had on the web.

Cimarron went again to high school and didn’t inform anybody in regards to the abuse.

McCartney continued to pursue Cimarron and contacted her 4 days later utilizing one other pretend account, saying: “I need to play yet another time.”

Regardless of pleading for McCartney to cease and being visibly upset, he advised her to “dry your eyes” and contain her youthful sister, aged 9, in a intercourse act.

Cimarron refused and mentioned she would moderately kill herself.

McCartney then put up a countdown clock, telling her “goodbye and good luck”.

Three minutes later, Cimarron was discovered by her nine-year-old sister, who entered the room after she thought she heard a balloon pop.

She had shot herself within the head with the household’s legally-held firearm.

Cimarron was taken to hospital the place she was pronounced lifeless.

Police have launched the 911 name of the household calling for assist.

On that fateful day in Could 2018, Cimarron’s nine-year-old sister discovered her mendacity on the ground of her dad and mom’ bed room with a gun by her aspect.

Her household had no concept why she had taken her life and had been unaware of the ordeal she had been subjected to.

Her mom, Stephanie, advised investigators that she may need been not sure of her sexuality. Eighteen months later, Cimarron’s father then took his personal life.

Nonetheless, years later, the reality behind what had occurred to Cimarron emerged.

Cimarron’s grandparents, Peggy and Dale, have taken half in an upcoming BBC documentary about McCartney, the place they bear in mind their granddaughter however discuss their struggling.

They hope that elevating consciousness of what they went by will forestall different households from struggling the identical ordeal.

McCartney first appeared in court docket in Northern Eire in late July 2019.

Police consider he focused as many as 3,500 youngsters on 64 units between 2013 and 2019.

The court docket heard the hurt McCartney precipitated was “unquantifiable”, and he “degraded and humiliated” victims for his personal sexual gratification.

Lots of his little one victims have by no means been recognized, however all their lives have been modified eternally.

Then in April 2021, simply earlier than McCartney was to be arraigned on a few of the costs regarding the case, investigators found what had occurred to Cimarron.

In what is known to be a authorized first, he was charged with the manslaughter of Cimarron, which he pleaded responsible to.

McCartney ultimately admitted about 185 costs involving about 70 little one victims – aged between 10 and 16.

The Public Prosecution Service in Northern Eire introduced these ahead as pattern costs in an effort to produce an indictment the court docket might handle.

The court docket heard of the affect McCartney’s abuse had on his younger victims; some mentioned they’ve suffered flashbacks, disgrace, alopecia, and belief points.

Different women now felt paralysed when touched in any means by any man, that their childhoods had been stolen, and a few had suicidal ideas.

The litany of McCartney’s crimes spanned continents.

BBC Information NI has spoken to a person from New Zealand, we have referred to as him Stephen (not his actual title), in regards to the abuse suffered by his two women after McCartney struck up a friendship with his eldest daughter, then 12, on Snapchat.

The woman, we have referred to as her Rebecca (not her actual title), believed that she was speaking to a different woman.

That Rebecca believed to be a friendship grew over just a few months. Then McCartney requested Rebecca for a nude {photograph}, which she despatched.

“He then used that to control and blackmail her into sending extra pictures, which ended up together with our youngest daughter in addition to a part of the blackmail,” Stephen mentioned.

“After which, in time, by her contact record on Snapchat, he added Rebecca’s cousin as nicely, who was older on the time, and he then tried to threaten her with getting extra pictures.

“Fortunately, she was mature sufficient and good sufficient to succeed in out to my spouse, after which we went straight to the police from there.”

He mentioned as quickly as the primary picture was despatched, McCartney had energy, including that Rebecca was “enjoying by his guidelines”.

“He preyed on her innocence,” he added.

The daddy defined that his youngest daughter, who is 2 years youthful, didn’t know what was occurring.

“She simply thought it was two sisters enjoying gown up and taking foolish photos, so she’s truly utterly oblivious to it to this present day.”

Stephen mentioned McCartney’s offending has had a “profound affect” on his eldest daughter.

Firstly of the 12 months, she moved away for college however moved house after six weeks.

“I consider she missed out on alternatives due to belief points. It is one thing she’s going to take care of eternally,” he mentioned.

“We all know she’s on this remedy on a regular basis, and the darkish locations that I am positive her thoughts goes when she’s alone.”

Stephen mentioned he and his spouse have been devastated by what occurred to their youngsters, however there was a silver lining in that they had been in a position to play a “small half in bringing him [McCartney] to justice and stopping additional victims”.

The three half collection, Teen Predator/ On-line Killer, which appears to be like at this case in larger element will likely be obtainable on BBC iPlayer, BBC One NI and BBC Three within the coming weeks.

Additional info and assist for these affected by this story can go to the BBC Action Line.