NEW WESTMINSTER, B.C. — A man convicted in the cyberbullying and extortion of a British Columbia teenager who died by suicide a decade ago is expected to learn his sentence today.
The story of 15-year-old Amanda Todd gained worldwide attention when she posted a video weeks before her death using flash cards to explain how she was harassed and extorted by an anonymous online predator.
Aydin Coban, who’s now 44 years old, was extradited from the Netherlands to face the charges and was convicted in August of extortion, child luring and sexual and pornography offences.
He has already been handed an 11-year prison term in his home country for similar offences involving children, and his lawyer says B.C. Supreme Court Justice Martha Devlin should sentence him to an additional two years in Canada because any more time would be unduly harsh.
Carol Todd, Amanda’s mother, says the request is laughable for the man who tormented and sexually extorted her daughter for years.
Crown attorney Louise Kenworthy asked the court to impose a 12-year sentence to be served after the completion of Coban’s Dutch term, saying his torment of Todd was a dominant factor in her suicide.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 14, 2022.
The Canadian Press
