Dutch man linked to Todd case sentenced 11 years
THE HAGUE, NETHERLANDS • A man wanted in Canada for alleged involvement in online abuse in the case of Amanda Todd was sentenced Thursday to nearly 11 years in prison by a Dutch court for cyberbullying dozens of young girls and gay men.
The court convicted Aydin Coban, 38, for fraud and blackmail via the Internet, according to a statement from the Dutch legal authorities.
It gave him the maximum possible sentence of 10 years and eight months, “because of the devastating consequences his behaviour has on the young lives of the girls” in particular, and out of fear that he could commit new offences if released, the statement said.
The court heard that he pretended to be a boy or girl and persuaded his victims to perform sexual acts in front of a webcam, then posted the images online or blackmailed them by threatening to do so. He was accused of abusing 34 girls and five gay men, behaviour the court called “astonishing.” In some cases, the abuse lasted years.
In Canada, Coban faces a separate trial in the cyberbullying of Todd, a 15-yearold girl from Port Coquitlam, B.C., whose suicide drew global attention to online abuse.
Todd’s mother, Carol, travelled to Amsterdam for part of the trial and expressed her relief Thursday at the outcome.
“I am grateful to the judges that they looked over all evidence and the testimony and realized that this person was guilty,” she said in an interview from Winnipeg.
Carol Todd said it is important for the case to be tried in Canada.
“It’s not only for me. It’s for all those others who have followed it and felt deeply about it for whatever reason. Amanda’s story has touched the hearts of many.”