(CNN) — A man in Northern Ireland has been sentenced to life for several crimes, including manslaughter, after using social media sites to blackmail and sexually abuse at least 70 minors in several countries.
Alexander McCartney, 26, was sentenced by a judge at Belfast Crown Court on Friday for child sexual offenses, blackmail and the manslaughter of a 12-year-old girl who took her own life in the United States in 2018 after being “catfished,” according to a statement from Northern Ireland’s Public Prosecution Service (PPS).
Catfishing – often used on social media – is when a person uses false information and images to create a fake identity online with the intention of tricking, harassing, or scamming another person.
According to authorities, McCartney pretended to be a young girl, befriended victims on social media and manipulated them into sending him nude images of themselves.
The victims were then threatened “into sending him indecent …