Aydin Coban, a 38-year-old Dutch man, has been sentenced to 10 years and 243 days in prison for online fraud and blackmail in relation to the abuse of 34 young women and men.
The sentence, handed down by a judge in the Netherlands, is the maximum that prosecutors were seeking.
Coban also faces charges in relation to the cyberbullying of B.C. teenager Amanda Todd. In October 2012, Todd, who was 15 at the time, committed suicide after posting a video on YouTube saying she had been blackmailed by someone online.
A press release from the Dutch court said Coban “deceived tenants, committed computer intrusion and blackmailed a man online by pretending to be a boy who was looking for sexual contacts.”
Aydin Coban, accused of cyber bullying Amanda Todd, sentenced to nearly 11 yrs in Dutch trial for abusing “dozens of young girls” #cbc
It said Coban’s primary targets were “dozens of young girls.” He would gain their trust by chatting with them online, posing as a young boy or girl, and then persuade them to perform sexual acts in front of a webcam, the court said. He would threaten to share the images of the girls to people they knew or post them to pornography sites.
“He did not stop at threats: if a girl did not comply with his demands, C. [Coban] did not hesitate to actually send sexual images to the family and friends of the victims or to post those images on the internet. It is clear that this can have a major impact on the personal development of young girls,” said the statement.
The court said it imposed the maximum sentence because there is a risk that Coban will reoffend.
Keylogger tool questioned
Coban’s former lawyer, Christian van Dijk, said the case could still be appealed to the European Court, in part because of the surveillance tools used by police.
Amanda Todd, 15, killed herself in 2012 after posting a video online telling a story of being harassed relentlessly. Coban faces charges in relation to cyberbullying in her case. (RIPAmandaTodd/Facebook)
“This sentence is really high, especially for the Netherlands,” van Dijk wrote to CBC News in an email.
“In my vision, the court made a mistake by accepting the use of the Keylogger. The European Court is very strict when it comes to privacy and I expect that if this case will be handled by the European Court, there will be a whole other outcome.
“The question will be if the use of secret surveillance tools by governmental organizations are accepted, and if so, what are the requirements. … This case will have influence on many other judgments in Europe.”
Still facing extradition to Canada
In Canada, the RCMP charged Coban in 2014 in relation to the Todd case, The five charges include possession of child pornography, extortion, internet luring, criminal harassment and distribution of child pornography.
He’s set to be extradited for that trial after the Dutch proceedings conclude, although he has appealed to stay in the Netherlands.
Carol Todd, Amanda’s mother, tweeted relief at Thursday’s verdict, saying, “this is the beginning towards another journey.”
#justice4Amanda and others. This is the beginning towards another journey. pic.twitter.com/GhRThrZyJG
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@c_todd
