A British Columbia judge has sentenced a man she called an “internet sextortionist” to 13 years in prison for tormenting British Columbia teen Amanda Todd before she died by suicide.
Justice Martha Devlin of the B.C. Supreme Court says Aydin Coban’s calculated conduct caused the girl mental anguish and social isolation, contributing to her suicide after he told Todd he would ruin her life.
The sentence is longer than the 12 years suggested by the Crown, but Devlin said Coban’s conduct calls for “sharp rebuke.”
The story of the 15-year-old girl gained worldwide attention when she posted a video weeks before her death in 2012 using flash cards to explain how she was harassed and extorted by an anonymous online predator.
Devlin says Coban used an arsenal of fake social media sites and went to great lengths to search out Todd’s family members and friends to maximize the harm after she pleaded for him to stop.
Coban, who was extradited to Canada to face trial, is already serving an 11-year sentence in the Netherlands for similar crimes involving 33 youth, and Devlin says the 13-year term will be served consecutively, or on top of his sentence that ends in 2024.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 14, 2022.
The Canadian Press
