A 31-year-old man, Matthew Cooney, has been brought to justice after a decade for terrorizing a 13-year-old British schoolgirl with threats of kidnapping and murder. Cooney harassed the girl for eight months, sending threatening messages and even falsely accusing her of drug use. After evading arrest in the UK in 2016, he fled to the United States, where he started a new life, got married twice, had three children, and committed various crimes. He was eventually deported back to the UK last year.
During the sentencing at Liverpool Crown Court, it was revealed that Cooney initially approached the victim in Manchester when she got off a bus. He persistently messaged her, threatening violence when she refused to meet him. Despite being blocked, he created new accounts to continue harassing her, even sending disturbing images and self-harm photos.
Cooney escalated his threats, including sending a “with sympathy” card and pretending to be a police officer to intimidate the victim and her family. He failed to appear in court in 2016, admitting his feelings for the girl but showing no remorse for his actions. He had no prior UK convictions but had theft charges in the US.
Cooney left the UK after meeting his first wife online, who tragically died in a car accident with their two children in 2024. He now has a new partner and a young child. After being deported from the US, Cooney was arrested in the UK in 2025 and pleaded guilty to stalking charges. The judge condemned his despicable behavior, sentencing him to 44 months in prison and imposing a 15-year restraining order to protect the victim.
