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Naomi Long calls on Alexander McCartney’s victims to speak out

Naomi Long calls on Alexander McCartney’s victims to speak out

During the investigation, the prosecutor’s office identified one case that led to tragic consequences.

In 2018, he sent a message to 12-year-old Cimarron Thomas from West Virginia, USA. After complimenting her and taking a photo, he began a campaign of insults.

He demanded more photos of her and threatened to post her photos online and expose her if she didn’t do what he said.

Frightened, she did not tell anyone what was happening to her.

McCartney continued to pursue her, returning for more photos and telling her that she should include her little sister in the photo.

She refused to do this and stated that she would commit suicide. He set the countdown clock.

Cimarron shot herself in the head with a legal firearm her family owned while she was still online with McCartney.

Her younger sister found her.

Sadly, 18 months later, Cimarron’s father Ben took his own life. When he died, he didn’t know why Cimarron took her.

In a statement read outside the court Friday, Cimarron’s grandparents, Peggy and Dale Thomas, urged parents to “please keep the doors open to communication regarding the atrocities of some people on the Internet.”

McCartney pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of Cimarron Thomas earlier this year.

If you are affected by any of the issues described in this article, support is available through BBC Action Line.