The Catfishing victim urged the youth to ‘tell someone about the abuse’

A teenager who was catfished by a vast sex criminal has urged other young victims not to be “embarrassed” and to tell someone that they rely about abuse.

Imi, who is not her real name, was deceived to befriend Max Holingsbi online. He went to threatened to provide her naked images. Now 18, she was the first person to report her crimes to the police.

Detectives exposed 13 other girls and young women, which they targeted.

Hallingby, 21, Lurgan, County Armagh, Was jailed for five years For a litter of crimes including involvement of children under 16 years of age to engage in sexual activity.

Their crimes come in a broader area of online catfishing, where a person uses false identity to gain a person’s trust before exploiting.

Hallingby was 17 years old when he started his misuse campaign. He pretended to be a little boy or a girl while contacting other youth before blackmailing.

Imi was 15 years old when she was targeted. She recalled the “immediate nervousness” when she felt when she realized that she was getting catfish.

She was educated about catfishing in school, but did not think it could be with her.

“The moment you are very stressed. So my immediate idea was in my mother’s room.

“I just put the phone directly into my mother’s hands and I went away: ‘Help. What should I do?”

“And he called the police again.”

Although catfishing is not a specific offense in northern Ireland, suspects can be prosecuted under other laws.

There are thousands of sexual offenses against children reported in Northern Ireland every year.

The data released to BBC News Ni, however, freedom of information request suggests that the North Ireland police service made 478 arrests for sexual communication with a child between 2019 and 2024.

During the same period, 175 people were convicted of sexual communication with a child.

PSNI also recorded 799 offenses in 2024, which belonged to children’s indecent images, keeping, sharing or publication.

Max Hallingsbi is not the only “catfish” that appears in Northern Ireland courts.

Another young man from County Tyron is waiting for punishment on similar crimes.

And last October, Alexander Mekartney The UK was jailed for at least 20 years described as the largest catfishing case.

He abused thousands of children and their demands around the world, killing a young girl in the United States.

The case inspired PSNI’s new trust trap campaign, which uses footage BBC documentary on McCartney.

According to PSNI DET SUPT JORDAN Piper, “The grooms like McCartney and HollingSbee work in a very similar way, hide their identity online and pretend the same age as a child”.

“They use fake profile images, pretend to have similar interests to gain a child’s confidence before running a conversation for a sexual nature.”

Prosecutors said that the availability of social media means that a child is changing the conservative image of a sexual criminal.

Catherine Karens, acting director of Public Processions Service (PPS), said that many cases have been reported in which young men and youth are abused online and that “the trend continues”.

“People have this image of pedophiles, which are scary old men, but we are looking at small and small male criminals, perhaps because they have computer skills to follow with their impulses.”

Ms. Kirson urged parents to monitor her children’s internet habits.

Ms. Keirs said that the case was not related to Holnsbi, Mekartney and County Tyrone – but there were common topics in crimes.

All teenagers were when they started searching for young victims, many of the children he lived abroad and also used popular social media apps to find and misuse the victims, including Snapchat and Vis.

Marsela Leonard, an expert on the evaluation and treatment of sexual trauma, said that this type of crime has developed over time.

He said that while “recording of loss” is nothing new, “the variety, width and ability of that technique, and how the type of loss has changed”.

He said that “the biggest lesson from Mekartney” had an impact on children “to do things, to harm themselves, was being blackmailed”, he said.

“But also when an image is being taken, they think: ‘Where is that picture, who has found, how many copies have been made?” ,

Imi was detected anxiety after her experience with Hallingby and missed the school during her GCSE year.

According to online security expert Wayne Denner, this issue does not only affect teenagers.

“I am in primary schools three or four times a week,” he said.

“Three or four years ago, it would be mostly secondary school.”

Mr. Danner said that abusers use online games, such as Roblox, Minecraft and Fortnite, as well as messaging apps, “access to technology from younger age” with more children.

He said that “in the bedroom, with the closure of the door,” in the bedroom, not a good idea “and grandparents, as well as to educate themselves from the mother -father, is not a good idea,” in the bedroom.

Online security act Applied in Britain on 25 July.

Internet firms should now adopt measures including strict age verification and identify a person in their company “accountable for safety of children”.

Many campaigners also want to see strict rules for tech firms or social media ban for Under -16.

A spokesman for Vij said that the firm “takes the subject of catfishing very seriously and is fully committed to the safety of our users”. This refers to BBC News Ni for this Online security engagement policy,

Snapchat said that the sexual abuse of any young person is frightening, illegal and against him Policies,

Catherine Karens admitted that it takes bravery for young people, such as Immi, to come forward.

“This type of behavior is very essential and these criminals seek big and big hits.

“They leave a footprint online which the police can follow.”

Emmi said that she was grateful to her mother for contacting the police.

“Even with a relationship with my parents, this is still a very embarrassing conversation.

“If you do not tell someone who can think rationally in such a situation, it can be very different for me, 100%.”

If you are influenced by the issues raised in this story you can go BBC Action Line for Support,