A Dutch man was sentenced Friday to 13 years in prison for sexually extorting a Canadian teenager, who had later taken her own life.
British Columbia Supreme Court
Aydin Coban, 44, was convicted in August of child-luring, child pornography, extortion, and harassment of a teenage girl. Coban’s sentence will likely set a precedent for those engaging in online sexual harassment.
The Canadian Centre for Child Protection said in a press release, “It is encouraging that the Canadian justice system has done its part to make the offender accountable for these offenses.”
International Business Times does not reveal the name of the victim because she was a minor.
After Coban’s guilty verdict in August, Derek Lints, the father of a 17-year-old son who died by suicide in February after being a victim of an online sexual extortion scheme, stated, “Our hope is that this conviction gives victims the courage to come forward and see that something can be done to help them.”
The girl was only 15 years old when she took her own life. She posted a video before describing how the cyberstalking had tortured her, detailing how Coban abused her and how it affected her life. In the silent video, she shows a series of cards that detail her experiences.
The girl posted her experience on YouTube.
Hello! I’ve decided to tell you about my never-ending story. In 7th grade I would go with friends on webcam, meet and talk to new people. Then got called stunning, beautiful, perfect, etc… Then wanted me to flash… So I did… 1 year later… I got a message on facebook from him… Don’t know how he knew me. It said… If you don’t put on a show for me I will send your boobs. He knew my address, school, relatives, family names. Christmas break… Knock at my door at 4am… It was the police… my photo was sent to everyone.I then got really sick and got… anxiety, major depression and panic disorder. I then moved and got into drugs + alcohol. My anxiety got worse… couldn’t go out.
He had harassed the girl for three years using 22 aliases on social media accounts such as Facebook and Skype. He sent her more than 700 messages repeatedly threatening to send elicit images and videos of her to her friends and family. Coban reportedly shared pornographic images of the girl on YouTube and other image-hosting sites.
Prosecutors argued that a firm sentence was necessary to protect people from his “repugnant” abuse.
British Columbia Supreme Court Justice Martha Devlin read the sentence in court on Friday, stating, “Ruining [the girl’s] life was Mr. Coban’s expressly stated goal and was, sadly, one that he achieved.”
After the sentencing, the girl’s mother told CBC News that “We need to make sure there is justice…” and “It has set case law precedents for all other cases that might go to trial. It sets the bar… and for those predators, who victimize children, hopefully, they won’t get lenient sentences.”
Corbin reportedly did not appear remorseful after the judge handed down his sentence. He will be extradited from Canada and serve his sentence in the Netherlands.
