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No-one in our society could fail to be shocked and appalled by the online child exploitation and abuse perpetrated by Alexander McCartney against thousands of children worldwide. At the heart of each and every one of his crimes is a child and their families who have faced unimaginable suffering, including the tragic deaths of Cimarron Thomas and her father, and my thoughts are first and foremost with each of them. Whilst the justice response to these crimes cannot undo the immense harm caused, I do hope that McCartney’s imprisonment and sentence help provide some level of solace to his victims.
This heinous and prolific offending highlights the dark side of the internet which can only be prevented and mitigated by the collective efforts of law enforcement, online platforms and child safety experts, working together. Further work is required in Westminster to strengthen the Online Safety Act to improve accountability and reporting mechanisms and put victim safety and harm reduction at its core. We must also ensure that the NI response to the issues of child exploitation and abuse is robust.
I commend the international cooperation of all law enforcement agencies co-ordinated by PSNI and PPS in bringing McCartney to justice. None of us should underestimate the emotional burden and secondary trauma that repeatedly viewing such disturbing images can have. It is essential that such cybercrime teams are appropriately resourced and supported in their efforts.
This case will undoubtedly cause concern for parents and guardians who can often feel like they are lagging behind their children in their understanding of how these platforms work. The key piece of advice is to talk to your child about the risks - information and support which may be useful to help inform these discussions is available from a range of support agencies such as NSPCC.