Â鶹ӰÊÓ

Skip to main content

Sentencing hearing delayed for harasser of B.C. teen Amanda Todd

Aydin Coban is pictured at B.C. Supreme Court, in New Westminster, B.C., on June 6, 2022. (Jane Wolsak / THE CANADIAN PRESS) Aydin Coban is pictured at B.C. Supreme Court, in New Westminster, B.C., on June 6, 2022. (Jane Wolsak / THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Share
NEW WESTMINSTER, B.C. -

A sentencing hearing for the Dutch man found guilty of harassing British Columbia teenager Amanda Todd has been adjourned until next month due to illness.

B.C. Supreme Court Justice Martha Devlin granted the Crown's request to delay the hearing for Aydin Coban because one of the prosecutors tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday morning.

Coban's defence lawyers told the court in New Westminster that they opposed the adjournment, but Devlin set Oct. 11 as the new start date for the four-day hearing.

A jury convicted Coban last month of extortion, harassment, communication with a young person to commit a sexual offence and possession and distribution of child pornography.

Coban was extradited from the Netherlands to face the charges and the trial heard he used 22 separate online accounts to harass and extort Todd over several years before the 15-year-old died by suicide in 2012.

He was not charged in relation to Todd's death.

The teenager from Port Coquitlam, B.C., posted a video on social media before she died that has since been viewed millions of times where she used flash cards to describe how she was tormented by an online harasser.

Before Coban was extradited, a Dutch court sentenced him to almost 11 years in prison for online fraud and blackmail of dozens of young girls and gay men.

That court heard Coban, who is in his mid-40s, pretended to be a boy or girl and persuaded his victims to perform sexual acts in front of a web camera, then posted the images online or blackmailed them by threatening to do so.

The Dutch court gave Coban the maximum sentence for what was described as "the devastating consequences of his behaviour" on the lives of his victims.

Carol Todd, Amanda's mother, has said she will deliver a victim impact statement during the sentencing hearing.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 20, 2022.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

The British Columbia election campaign is set to officially start today, with Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin issuing the writ for the Oct. 19 vote.

A northern Ontario man is facing a $12,000 fine after illegally shooting a moose near the Batchawan River.

Unusual flippered feet are making their way into the Saint Lawrence River this weekend. Led by underwater explorer and filmmaker Nathalie Lasselin, volunteer divers are combing the riverbed near Beauharnois in Montérégie to remove hundreds of tires that have been polluting the aquatic environment for decades.

A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

Stay Connected