Crown seeks 12-year sentence for 'unrepentant' Dutch man who harassed, extorted Amanda Todd

WARNING: This article contains details of sexual extortion and may affect those who have experienced it or know someone affected by it.

Thesentencing hearingfor a Dutch man found guilty of harassing and extorting B.C.teenager Amanda Todd began Tuesday with prosecutors recommending he serve 12 years in prison to protect other children from his "morally repugnant" abuse.

Crown lawyers opened proceedings in B.C. Supreme Court by describing Aydin Coban'sonline stalkingas "calculated, callous... [and with] devastating consequences."

They said Coban, who has been convicted of similar crimes in the Netherlands, has shown "no interest inrehabilitation" and is a high risk to offend again.

"For these reasons, it is the Crown's submissions that high sentences for each of the offences for which he has been convicted must be imposed," prosecutor Louise Kenworthy said.

Coban, who is in his mid-40s, is being sentenced forextortion, harassment, communication with a young person to commit a sexual offence and possession and distribution of child pornography. He was convicted in August after a nine-week trial in New Westminster, B.C.

Amanda, who was from Port Coquitlam, B.C., died by suicide at the age of 15 on Oct. 10, 2012 nearly 10 years ago to the day.

WATCH | Carol Toddspeaks to reporters as sentencing begins:

Amanda Todd's mother speaks outside court as sentencing begins for Aydin Coban

2 years ago

Duration 1:05

Amanda Todd's mother, Carol Todd, said she hopes to see jail time for the Dutch man who harassed and extorted her daughter before her death a decade ago.

She had endured nearly three years of torment from Coban, who used 22 aliases to harass her online.

During the hearing Tuesday, Coban sat behind a pane of glass in the prisoner's box in a navy button-up shirt. He had hisback to Amanda's familyincluding her mother and brother who were in the gallery.

Court heard Coban sent more than 700 messages over four different platforms to Amanda and her inner circlebetween 2009 and 2012. In what prosecutors described as four distinct "episodes," he threatened to send pornographic images of her to her friends, family and school administrators if she did not agree to a webcam "show."

When Amanda refused, Coban followed through on the threats. Court heard CoquitlamRCMP were not able to trace the messages to Coban before Amanda's deathbecause heusedprivate networks, stolen Wi-Fi and other tools to hide his IP address.

Family members read victim statements

Amanda'sparents read victim impact statements in court.

The teen's mother, Carol Todd, placed a framed photo of hersmiling daughter by her side as she read her statement, as well as one from her son, Christopher Todd, who said he yearns for his only sibling.

Carol Todd said she has struggled with guilt about whether she could have done more to protect her daughter, whose love of singing brought her to the internet and ultimately to the darkness that lay within it from a man who first called her beautiful, then exploited her.

"I hope that he heard about how it felt for me to see what Amandahad gone through with the trauma of what had happened to her between 2009 and early2012 and ultimately didn't think ... that [life]was worth living,"Carol Todd said following Tuesday's hearing.

Amanda's father Norm, who had declined to speak publicly in the decade since his daughter died, said in his victim impact statement that it's impossible for him to imagine the threats and "lurking evil'' that encircled his daughter after she was lured and exploited by a cyberbully.

"When I lost my daughter, every aspect of my life was affected. I was consumed with grief, and I wanted to know why, everywhere I looked I saw my daughter,'' Norm Todd said Tuesday of the girl who continued to laugh, dance and sing in his mind's eye.

"I struggled to relate and to communicate with loved ones,'' he said, adding anger and sadness consumed him.

"My daughter deserved to have a happy, carefree childhood and not have to worry about any kind of daily torment she was subjected to.''

Strong sentence needed as deterrent, says Crown

Crown and defence lawyers will continue submissions this week on the severity of Coban's sentence. On Tuesday, Kenworthy said there is an "extremely high" need for a sentence that deters other offenders as online extortion has "exploded" in recent years.

During the criminal trial, Kenworthytold the jury a "treasure trove of information'' connected Cobanto Amanda's harassment, including information found on two hard drives seized from his home.

Lawyers forCoban, who was extradited from the Netherlands to face the charges, argued the Crown's evidence didn't prove that he was the person behind numerous online accounts used to harass the teenager.

Before her death, Amanda postedaYouTubevideo that described the harassment she'd experienced online.

She used flash cards to recount her ordeal in the video that's since been viewed by millions.

Cobanwas not charged in relation to Amanda's death. Hissentencing was initially set to take place last month. Itwas postponed after a Crown prosecutor tested positive for COVID-19.

BeforeCobanwas extradited to B.C., a Dutch court sentenced him to almost 11 years in prison for similar online offences following a trial in Amsterdam in 2017, where he was accused in the online abuse of 34 girls and five men.

That court heardCobanpretended 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.

He was convicted of fraud and internet blackmail and given the maximum sentence for what Dutch legal authorities described as "the devastating consequences of his behaviour'' on the lives of his victims.

Crown saidin the likely eventCoban is returned to the Netherlands, it will be up to a Dutch court to determine how this new Canadian sentence will be converted and whether the two sentences will be served concurrently or consecutively.

The hearing is scheduled to last most of the week.

Support is available for anyone who has been sexually assaulted. You can access crisis lines and local support services through thisGovernment of Canada websiteor theEnding Violence Association of Canada database. If you're in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that of others around you, please call 911.

If you or someone you know is struggling, here's where to get help:

• Talk Suicide Canada: 1-833-456-4566 (phone) | 45645 (text between 4 p.m. and midnight ET).

• Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868 (phone), live chat counselling on the website.

• Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention: Find a 24-hour crisis centre.

This guide from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health outlines how to talk about suicide with someone you're worried about.