Catfish killer Alexander McCartney gets a minimum of twenty years in prison

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Although researchers believe as many as 3,500 children were targeted; this case focused on 70 of them to provide the court with a manageable workload.

In 2019, it was confirmed that the Police Service of Northern Ireland had established a “special team” to specifically investigate the McCartney case, due to the number of potential victims.

Identifying the alleged victims had become a “herculean task”, an earlier court was told, with the investigation stretching as far as New Zealand.

The court heard that twelve computer equipment was initially seized from McCartney following his arrest.

It was explained that these devices had the ability to emulate other computers, allowing the operator to contact four times as many victims.

“Each emulator has 760 folders and each of these folders identifies one victim,” a prosecutor said.

“A small sample is being submitted for prosecution, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.”

A total of 64 devices were found at his home in the rural Lissummon Road area outside Newry during four separate raids.

These devices contain thousands of images of abuse.