Parents and child protection experts are reflecting on Amanda Todd’s legacy and what urgently needs to happen to keep children safe online after a Dutch man was convicted of sexually extorting the BC teenager, who took her own life as a result. For Derek Lints, Saturday’s verdict against Aydin Coban “is unprecedented” and he hopes it will inspire real change. “Our hope is with this conviction, it gives courage to victims to come forward and see that something can be done to help them,” he said. Lints’ 17-year-old son, Daniel, took his own life in February — just hours after he fell victim to an online sexual extortion scheme perpetrated over Snapchat. “These people can be found, charged and convicted,” Lints, of Pilot Mound, Man., told CBC News in an interview after Coban was sentenced by a jury in New Westminster, B.C. Coban was convicted of extortion, two counts of possession of child pornography, child enticement and criminal harassment against Todd. The 15-year-old killed herself on October 10, 2012, after posting a video on YouTube saying she had been blackmailed by an online predator.
Advocates want action after Amanda Todd’s torturer convicted
WARNING: This video contains disturbing details | Advocates say they hope Aydin Coban’s conviction for sexually extorting BC teenager Amanda Todd will lead to better protections for victims. Coban was extradited from the Netherlands in 2020 to face the charges. He has not been charged in connection with Todd’s death. Todd’s mother, Carol Todd, said after the verdict that she believes the case has set a precedent showing that people can be held accountable for so-called “extortion” no matter where they are in the world. Lints said he was happy for Carol Todd, “persevering all these years” and seeing a verdict in her daughter’s case. “We also hope that governments will continue to look for ways to extradite these people from ‘safe haven’ countries where they are able to prey on children, basically without repercussions,” he said. Derek Lints’ son Daniel, 17, took his own life in February after being sexually exploited online. Derek hopes the government will continue efforts to find and extradite people who commit the crime. (John Woods/The Canadian Press) Child protection experts also expressed relief, saying the outcome of the criminal case sends a message. “The fact that this man was brought to Canada … is really encouraging and important because it shows that Canada took this very seriously and wanted to make sure that our justice system was engaged,” said Monique St. Germain, general counsel of the Winnipeg-based Canadian Center for Child Protection (CCCP).
Increase in “blackmail” of children
The verdict also comes at a time when the problem of online sex extortion is gaining more attention amid alarming statistics and warnings from police forces across the country. On Thursday, the CCCP released an analysis suggesting a sharp increase in extortion crimes targeting youth. The majority of the victims are teenage boys, the center said. It opened 322 cases this July, compared to 85 in July 2021 and just 15 in July 2019. Of those 322 cases last month, 92 percent involved boys or young men. The RCMP’s National Child Exploitation Crime Center received a total of 52,306 complaints for the year 2020-21 — a 510 per cent increase from seven years earlier. Experts have pointed to an increase in online activity during the COVID-19 pandemic as a contributing factor. More can be done to fight crime besides relying on the criminal justice system, St. Germain said.
Amanda Todd’s mother continues to fight to keep children safe
WARNING: This video contains disturbing details | Amanda Todd’s mother, Carol Todd, says her fight to keep children safe continues, despite her relief at the conviction of the man who sexually assaulted her daughter. Online platforms need to be responsible and do more to keep children safe, and governments need to step up legislation to tackle online harm, he said. “The reality is that right now we have websites, apps and other things that come out on the market without really having a requirement to consider child safety in the design,” said St. Germain. Society wouldn’t allow a play structure in a park to be there without adequate safety precautions, and the online world shouldn’t be treated any differently, he said. In July, the federal government announced it was reopening consultations on potential online harm legislation. A panel of academics tasked with studying the issue could not reach consensus on several issues, including whether software companies should be forced to proactively monitor or remove harmful content, whether private messages should be included in the law, and how to define “harming” herself, according to a summary of the group’s work. But time is of the essence in what is an urgent national problem, St. Germain said. “Every day more children are being victimized,” he said.
Stalking Amanda: The Man in the Shadows
Amanda Todd’s name became synonymous with cyberbullying and loss after the BC teen’s suicide. The Fifth Estate’s Mark Kelley reveals the never-before-told story of her accused online stalker, the global police manhunt, and disturbing questions about why the suspect wasn’t caught before Amanda killed herself. “It is unacceptable that the burden of keeping our young people safe online falls on the shoulders of Canadian parents. Until governments and technology companies make immediate and swift changes to protect children online, history will repeat itself.” A date for Coban’s sentencing will be set on Thursday. If you or someone you know is struggling, here’s where you can get help: This guide from the Center for Addiction and Mental Health describes how to talk about suicide with someone you care about. The police also suggest the following to avoid becoming a victim of sexual extortion:
Never answer video calls from people you don’t know. If you accidentally connect to someone you don’t know via live stream, hang up immediately. Always answer video calls with the camera off until you know the caller’s identity.
Anyone targeted should immediately stop communicating with the suspected scammer and report it to the police. Child exploitation can be reported online at www.cybertip.ca. Police also say victims should not comply with threats and should keep records of any correspondence with the perpetrator.
