The Dutch man who is accused of blackmailing Canadian teenager Amanda Todd has been sentenced to 11 years in jail for a separate cyberbullying case in the Netherlands today.
Aydin Coban, 38, was convicted with fraud and blackmail via the internet in an Amsterdam courtroom Thursday and was subsequently given the maximum possible sentence. Netherlands authorities have approved his extradition to Canada, where he will face five charges relating to the Todd case, including extortion, possession of child pornography, and attempting to lure a child online. He has appealed the extradition decision and denies the charges.
Videos by VICE
Todd killed herself in 2012 at the age of 15, after being repeatedly harassed online. Her case garnered national attention in part because of this video of her explaining her experience being bullied. In it, she says she was harassed and extorted repeatedly by a man who had pictures of her breasts.
After Dutch police arrested Coban in 2014, Canadian authorities charged him with the offences relating to the Todd investigation.
According to the Dutch trial, he would pretend to be a boy or a girl online and convince young people he was chatting with to commit sexual acts via webcam. He would then post photos of his victims online to extort them. In the cases where victims did not comply, he would send the photos to their families and friends. He abused 34 young girls and gay men, the court heard.
According to a press release from the Dutch district court, “his behaviour has had devastating consequences on the young girls.”
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