he had posed as a young girl on the messaging site snapchat to target thousands of children. this was one of the most depraved, distressing and prolific cases of child sexual abuse that we have ever seen in the public prosecution service. we ask what more should be done to protect young people online. also on the programme: an investigation into how a single social media post helped spark this summer's riots. the un's human rights chief says gaza's "darkest moment" is unfolding — with civilians subjected to bombing, siege and starvation. i plan on continuing until the wheels come off. and behind the scenes with bruce springsteen — who's going back on tour at the age of 75.

on newsnight at 10.30pm tonight — we'll bring you fresh insight on the stories of the day, with big interviews and our regular panel of newsnighters — and of course, look at what the papers are saying about tomorrow's news. good evening. one of the world's most prolific online abusers, who drove one of his young victims to take her own life, has been jailed for life at belfast crown court. alexander mccartney admitted 185 charges involving 70 children — although the court was told there could be as many as 3500 victims. mccartney, who's 26, posed as a girl, in order to befriend girls on the instant messaging service snapchat before going on to blackmail them. thejudge said mccartney had used social media on an industrial scale, to inflict catastrophic damage.

chris page reports. cimarron thomas lived thousands of miles away from the abuser who caused her death. why? "why" was the biggest question. why? this was the sunday we took her home before her passing. she has bright red lipstick on, getting into that stage of her life, to be a teenager. she almost was. alexander mccartney was blackmailing cimarron. he had initially pretended to be a teenage girl to trick cimarron into sending him explicit pictures of herself. he went through the same sickening routine with 3,500 victims, telling them he would post the photos publicly unless they carried out acts of abuse for his sexual gratification. three minutes after mccartney's last message to cimarron, the emergency services received this

call from her nine—year—old sister. what happened? she fell? shot herself? yeah, get her to get rags, put pressure on that, control the bleeding as much as you can. i need you to secure the firearm. is it close by? 18 months later, cimarron�*s father ben took his own life without knowing what had led to his daughter's suicide. mccartney targeted victims across the world over five years. he ordered some girls to film themselves abusing other children. you had little girls, - sort of an average age of 10—12 years old, many times being threatened in- the most depraved way. when he got that first i photograph from them, he actually had a preprepared threat saved in his phone, which he wouldl cut and paste into the chat. his offending was round—the—clock, you know, and it was difficult -

to know when he actually did anything else. - prosecution lawyers described mccartney as remorseless, cold and compulsive. many of his victims have been left with mental health difficulties. 0ne father in new zealand said that his family had been devastated. it all happened for my daughter within minutes. you know, as soon as that first photo was sent, a sequence of events was in motion that, you know, could never be undone. and he'd obviously honed his craft over, you know, a significant period of time, and as soon as he had that power, she was playing by his rules. mccartney is now facing justice, with a life prison sentence. the judge said the full extent of mccartney's crimes put the case on a par with murder. he told the court he couldn't imagine a more dangerous sex offender. the detective leading the inquiry said there'd never been an investigation like it. his offending was on an industrial scale.

mccartney's actions have directly caused the death of a child. he may as well have pulled the trigger himself. mccartney must serve at least 20 years before he can apply for early release. the online killer is one of the most prolific child abusers ever to be convicted. chris page, bbc news, belfast. 0ur correspondent angus crawford, who has reported extensively on child safety online, is here. angus, such a distressing case. what can social media companies do to try to stop cases like this? this is a truly horrific case, but it is important to remember that alexander mccartney committed his offences between 2013 and 2019. those really were the wild west days of social media — there were few guardrails. today the digital

landscape is different. first there's the 0nline safety act — a —year—old today — becoming fully enforceable in 2025. it requires platforms to crack down on illegal content, demands better age verification of users setting up accounts, and it gives the regulator powers to impose fines of up to £18 million. so what about the social media companies? well, in just the last eight weeks snapchat and instagram have rolled out new safety features, making teen accounts private by default, hiding friend lists from potential bad actors, and identifying and blocking suspicious accounts. but there are still huge problems with sexual exploitation on social media. the figures are really disturbing — 3a,000 recorded crimes of online grooming in six years. snapchat accounted for a quarter of those. meta platforms, including instagram, almost half. 25% of cases involved children under the age of 12

and where the data on gender is available, over 80% of victims are girls. horrific as this case is, perhaps it's also a moment for a national conversation between parents, carers, guardians and young people about the fact that not everyone is who they say they are online. and a vital message for teenagers — if someone is threatening you online like this, you have done nothing wrong — you are a victim. and finally that nothing is so embarrassing it's worth ending your life over. thanks, angus. and if you've been affected by any of the issues raised, details of organisations which can offer support are available at bbc.co.uk/actionline. the riots that broke out this summer in the wake of the southport attack, in which three young girls were killed, were some of the most violent the uk has seen in years. but what role did social media play

in fuelling the anger? tonight, a bbc verify investigation can reveal how a post on linkedin, which wrongly claimed the suspect was a migrant, was one of the earliest sources of false information, and that even though it was deleted, it went on to be viewed millions of times and exploited by leading far right figures. 0ur uk editor, ed thomas, has the story. inside the southport riots. uncontrolled rage on st luke's road, fuelled by relentless misinformation. for the first time, we show how a deleted linkedin post was weaponised and seen by millions, and we confront the white nationalist... southport riots, was itjust a pr opportunity for you? ..accused of exploiting the deaths of children. dave, have you got anything to say? our investigation has been tracking a single social media post, part of a wider pattern

of misinformation that all merged together, twisting reality. my two youngest children went to holiday club this morning in southport for a day of fun only for a migrant to enter and murder/fatally wound multiple children. this is the first piece of local testimony identified by the bbc, incorrectly saying the suspect was a migrant. if there's any time to close the borders completely it's right now! enough is enough. only a few hundred people viewed eddie murray's post before it was removed by linkedin. by then it had been copied, reposted and later seen by millions. this is how the false information spread out of all control. within an hour, this x account used eddie murray's post to justify mass deportations. next, a post by an indian website says it's confirmed news. watch as the views multiply.

at the same time, far right political leader paul golding says "evidence is stacking up". the murray screenshot is then promoted by a white nationalist who wants to "deport these savages". and now, within an hour on x, the post is used for the first time alongside the name ali al—shakati. police later said an incorrect name for the suspect was being shared online. minutes later, actor and right wing activist laurence fox reposts the al—shakati name and the murray screenshot. he writes, "close the borders." eddie murray could not have known how far his screenshot would travel online, but in just a few hours it had over two million views. we messaged eddie murray about his linkedin post. hey, eddie, sorry to bother you... after he stopped answering our questions, we went to see him. could we ask you about your linkedin posts? yeah. were you spreading false information? was i spreading...? no. why did you say that your children were there?

we understand the children were not there, eddie. my ex—wife rang me up and told me they were there. she was crying her eyes out. we understand eddie murray's family were in the area, but had left the dance class by the time of the attack. we've also obtained eddie murray's deleted linkedin posts. in one, he says the attack happened because of "people with a left wing woke agenda". in another, he claims bbc news are lying and says the attacker�*s name is ali al—shakati. why did you post a false name of the attacker? someone else had already posted it, hadn't they? it's clear no single post or person was responsible for the riots. so an undocumented migrant decided to go to a taylor swift dance class... but within 2a hours, people like andrew tate and other high profile online accounts were repeating false narratives to millions. his name is ali al...al—kati. yeah, a very welsh sounding name. separately on the messaging app telegram, a group called southport wake up was created and organised the protest on st luke's road.

and this is where online misinformation... ..met reality. st lu ke�*s road. a place of fury. this is derek drummond attacking the police. he's screaming "liars" at officers. he also attacks a police van. drummond has now been jailed for three years. and look at the left of the screen. the man close by with a green jacket, white t—shirt and cap. here he is on the ground. jacket off, he poses for photos. his name is david miles, a far right activist for the white nationalist group patriotic alternative. 0n the day of the riot, his telegram account reposted misinformation, calling the attacker a migrant. it promoted the time

and place for the southport protest, and a post below, since edited, said, "contain your rage, we're at war". david, sorry to bother you. bbc news. you were there as police officers were being pelted with bricks... we tracked him down. you were stood on the front line. you had... you're causing harassment, alarm, distress. you go away or i'll call the police. ..more than 60 miles away from southport, to ask why he used the riots as a backdrop to photograph his free sam melia t—shirt. melia was jailed this year for inciting racial hatred. he was once in the neo—nazi group national action, since banned as a terrorist organisation. was itjust a pr stunt, david? that's all it was. a pr stunt? you're admitting it's a pr stunt? no, no, iwouldn�*t say it's a pr stunt. ijust took... i had the t shirt made... as parents were grieving the deaths of children who had been killed, you took the opportunity

at the scene of a riot to display a free sam melia t—shirt? thejudge described sam melia as anti—semitic, with neo—nazi sympathies. i don't know him that well. here is david miles, posing in the middle of sam melia and the co—leader of patriotic alternative, laura towler, centre stage with one of the uk's largest extreme far right movements. as the riot took hold, a post on his telegram said, "what did they expect? "a garden party?" and in the days that followed, the account reposted dozens of locations for protests. august the third, you reposted, "the uk is erupting, people are done with the migrant replacing scheme." you reposted that. any regrets? i don't regret anything. what do you want to say to the families who are grieving those children? if they'd have turned on the television cameras and seen you on that front line with "free sam melia," what do you want to say to the families?

no comment. imean... what do you want to say? i wasn't involved in any rioting. i was a peaceful... what do you want to say to the police officers who were injured during those riots? it was terrible. it's absolutely terrible. it was, it was terrible. it shouldn't have happened, you know. a perfect storm of the british extreme right exploiting raw emotions for their own agenda while the truth is lost in a tsunami of misinformation. many of the false posts we investigated are still online, and right now there's little to stop all this happening again. ed thomas, bbc news, southport. a man who stabbed an asylum seeker in the chest has been found guilty of attempted murder at leicester crown court. callum parslow attacked 25—year—old nahom hagos at a hotel in worcestershire. parslow said he was angry and frustrated about small boat crossings. police found nazi paraphenalia in his flat.

parslow, who has a copy of hitler's signature tatooed on his arm, will be sentenced injanuary. the un's head of human rights has said the "darkest moment" is now unfolding in northern gaza — warning that israel's actions there may amount to crimes against humanity. volker turk says the area is under siege, with hospitals and civilian shelters bombed daily and the entire civilian population at risk of starvation. he says the un convention against genocide requires foreign governments to intervene. israel denies it's aiming to force all palestinians out of northern gaza — around 400,000 people. it says it's targeting hamas fighters and complying with international law. israel does not allow the bbc and otherjournalists to enter gaza and report independently. our special correspondent fergal keane reports from jerusalem.

atjabalia's kamal adwan hospital, an evacuation team arrives. so much need. "he's dying in my arms," this mother says. "what can i do? whom should i ask for help? why should he die in my arms?" many more evacuations are required. today there is more than, it's close to 200 patients, close to 200 patients, we see multiple trauma patients from all over the north of gaza. and there is approximately 300 to 500 idps in and around the hospital, many, many women and children. since then, the un says the israeli army entered the hospital, arresting medics. it has now lost contact with kamal adwan, whose director sent this appeal at 1pm local time. we appeal to the world to intervene to preserve our hospitals. and we want international

protections for our medical staff. because we are working under distress and under fear. the processions out of jabalia tell their own stories. behind them, bodies trapped under rubble. the men, stripped, hands bound, arrested by israel as it searches for hamas. now the un's most senior human rights official has called on the international community to hold israel to account. the israeli government's policies and practices risk emptying the area of all palestinians. we are facing what could amount to atrocity crimes, including potentially extending to crimes against humanity. the un criticised hamas for operating from within the civilian population. i have repeatedly expressed alarm at the methods and means of warfare and the gravity of the violations committed by all sides.

the chief of israel's military was injabalia today, telling his troops they were beating hamas. translation: because we are better, we are more justified, _ and also because we are stronger. another achievement, jabalia is falling. for those who escaped the north, there is no secure refuge. childhood and the desperation and dust of khan younis. "get back," he shouts. there has been warning after warning, plea after plea from the international community, but still this hunger. translation: how will i feed my kids? j i have no flour, no bread, nothing at home. much happens away from the cameras,

but there is a lot we are seeing, day after day. fergal keane, bbc news, jerusalem. the bbc has uncovered how people are storing boats in germany which are used to transport migrants from france to england. during covert filming, smugglers revealed that they store the vessels in multiple secret warehouses. this year is the deadliest so far for migrant channel crossings, with more than 28,000 people making thejourney in small, dangerously packed boats. our berlin correspondentjessica parker has this exclusive report. essen, west germany — a place many migrants come to or pass through. it's here ourjournalist is posing as a syrian man who wants to get to britain on a small boat. wearing a secret camera, he meets this man, a boat smuggler who says his name is abu sahar. these are videos from abu sahar — motors, dinghies for use in migrant crossings.

this one, he's suggested, is being stored nearby, somewhere around essen, ready, for the right price. they end up at a cafe. it's becoming clear someone else is coming. months of groundwork have led up to this moment. our guy is just a couple of streets away, having a meeting with his contact. we've got a tracker on him. we're parked up here. we don't want to get too close. that could compromise things, but we've got to be close enough in case there's a problem and we have to get him out of there. they'rejoined by a man known as al hal — the uncle — a term of authority. due to strict german law, we can't record the sound of the meeting. so, right after, ourjournalist describes to me what happened. they tell me the equipment comes from turkey. they have about ten warehouses around essen. police raided one a few days ago, but they separate their stock and give bait to police.

as our investigation shows, smugglers are moving boats from turkey into germany, now a central location for storing dinghies later used in channel crossings. because cities like essen are near, but not too near, the calais region's more closely watched beaches, while, under german law, helping to smuggle people out of the eu to a third country like the uk isn't technically illegal, though raids have happened using european arrest warrants. back at the cafe, it's down to business. the smuggler says one option. "i can get you a boat. you will pay me 15,000 euros. you will get the boat with 60 life jackets and all the equipment. guaranteed delivery to the calais area." this testimony is backed up by videos, messages and voice notes from the smugglers. in various exchanges, the main contact, abu sahar, even discusses the merits of certain engine models and known migrant crossing points.

on the beaches of north—eastern france, dawn breaks. responding to our report, downing street said enforcement must be stepped up. the german government said close cooperation will continue, but the remnants of failed, even fatal crossing attempts still litter these shores, as smugglers make big money from this misery. jessica parker, bbc news. now, with a look at what's coming up on newsnight on bbc two shortly, here's adam fleming. we're the home of us election insights and tonight a developing story. one of america's most read papers, the washington post, won't endorse a candidate for this election for the first time in over 30 years. the decision was reportedly on the instructions of its propertier, jeff bezos, the owner of amazon. we'll explain why it's causing

concern with a panel of the bbc�*s best us election podcasters. newsnight, in eight minutes over on bbc two, on bbc news and iplayer. adam, thank you. adam fleming. the former head of the american clothing chain abercrombie & fitch, mikejeffries, has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking and prostitution charges. our correspondent rianna croxford investigated the story for the bbc, and that led to the fbi's inital investigation. she reports now from the court in new york state. mrjeffries, do- you have any regrets? mikejeffries, the former ceo of abercrombie & fitch, in new york, leaving the federal court. what do you say to the men. who say you exploited them? he ran the retailer for 22 years, building a billion—dollarfashion empire, using provocative ads and preppy clothing aimed at teenagers. now 80, mikejeffries was slouched in the courtroom as the judge read

out the charges against him. one count of sex trafficking, 15 counts of interstate prostitution. he pled not guilty. he is now under house arrest after being released on a $10 million bond. this followed my two—year investigation into him and his british partner, matthew smith. several men told me they were abused by them at events they hosted in major cities around the world. what i would like to talk about is being lied to, tricked, and traded like a commodity. i think it broke me. i think that they stole any ounce of innocence that i had left. and it mentally messed me up. the bbc gathered evidence of a highly organised operation involving a middleman called jim jacobson, also in court today. he faces the same criminal charges. he too pleaded not guilty. us prosecutors allege they knew their conduct was illegal and conspired to keep it secret.

court documents say mikejeffries spent millions of dollars to create a massive infrastructure, including a full service security company that oversaw non—disclosure agreements and would surveil and intimidate individuals who threatened to expose the operation. matthew smith, the fashion mogul�*s life partner, was also arrested but did not appear in court today. he has rarely been photographed, but the bbc obtained these images from the 1990s. a british national, he is considered a flight risk by prosecutors and is being detained. mikejeffries is next due in court in december. rianna croxford, bbc news, long island, new york. and you can see the original bbc panorama investigation, that's "the abercrombie guys: the dark side of cool" on the iplayer now.

turning now to some breaking news coming out of westminster. this is in relation to the budget next week. we can find out more from our political correspondent ben wright put it what can you tell us? the government _ put it what can you tell us? the government is _ put it what can you tell us? tue: government is trying put it what can you tell us? tte: government is trying to raise the employer rate of national insurance, with many hints from ministers this is on the cards recently and tonight we have learned that national instruments is expected to rise to fund a big boost in the nhs budget, employer national insurance put at the chancellor is also expected to lower the earnings threshold at which employers start making national insurance contributions at these two measures combined are expected to raise about £20 billion for public services which is likely to be the biggest tax rising measure in the budget next week. as the labour manifesto promised to are not raised vat, income tax or national insurance, this will absolutely be contentious and fought over between the parties but the chancellor is likely to argue it will not directly

affect employees put up with the cbi and other business groups have already warned that if this happens, it could chill their ability to hire new employees. tonight government source said there is universal consensus that the nhs needs money and that means asking businesses to help out putted the choice, they said, is investment versus decline. we will get the full budget in about four days' time. we we will get the full budget in about four days' time.— four days' time. we will indeed, thank you _ four days' time. we will indeed, thank you for now. _ four days' time. we will indeed, thank you for now. ben - four days' time. we will indeed, thank you for now. ben wright | four days' time. we will indeed, | thank you for now. ben wright at westminster. it's the budget next wednesday and bbc news wants to include you in our coverage. we want to know what you want to see in the budget, how you think it will affect you, and what you want us to explain. you can get in touch with us through the bbc news website, on email and on whatsapp. it's 60 years since bruce springsteen played his first gig. since then he's sold 140 million albums and sold out

stadiums across the world. now, for the first time, he's allowed a documentary team to film his preparations for going on the road again. # born in the usa...# you've been touring for decades now, so why this tour in particular to invite the cameras in? because i could be dead by the next one! laughter. let's hope not. i'm 75 years old now. if i wait ten years... i've decided that waiting to do things, that part of my life is over. scene at 75 and just to tell you about the football because england's women have been beaten 11—3 by germany in a thrilling and fast paced friendly at wembley. the lionesses went 3—0 down in the first half an hour. georgia stanway and

lucy bronze were the scorers for england. and if you want to continue watching the bbc news at ten, please turn over to bbc one, or you can watch on iplayer. next, it's newsnight. very nearly at the weekend and it is a mixed weekend but exactly what makes you get