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Crown seeks 12 years for Amanda Todd harasser

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 12 Oct, 2022 09:41 AM

NEW WESTMINSTER, B.C. - A Dutch national returns to British Columbia Supreme Court as his multi-day sentencing for child sexploitation resumes.

The Crown is seeking a 12-year prison term for 44-year-old Aydin Coban, who was convicted in August of several offences related to an unrelenting online attack aimed at Port Coquitlam teen Amanda Todd.

She endured three years of online stalking and abuse as Coban hid behind aliases and threatened and blackmailed her, before she took her own life in 2012 when she was 15.

Coban was not charged in connection with the death, but the Crown has told his hearing that the sextortion scheme was "morally repugnant," he refuses rehabilitation, is at a high risk to reoffend and must be separated from society for a lengthy period.

Any sentence could be added to 11 years Coban is already serving in the Netherlands for similar offences, and the Crown is recommending the Canadian sentence be served after the Dutch penalty ends.

Crown counsel Louise Kenworthy says Coban's defence lawyer plans to ask that any Canadian punishment be served at the same time as Coban completes his Dutch term.

The sentencing hearing is expected to continue all week in New Westminster.

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Sentencing for Dutch harasser in Amanda Todd case

Aydin Coban, who is in his mid-40s, was convicted in August on charges of extortion, harassment, communication with a young person to commit a sexual offence and possession and distribution of child pornography.