5.77°C Vancouver

Dec 21, 2023 7:14 PM - The Canadian Press

Dutch court orders Amanda Todd's tormentor to serve six years of 13-year B.C. term

Share On
dutch-court-orders-amanda-todds-tormentor-to-serve-six-years-of-13-year-b-c-term
The man who extorted and bullied British Columbia teenager Amanda Todd into suicide has had his 13-year sentence from a Canadian court converted to a six-year prison term in Europe (Photo :The Canadian Press)

The man who extorted and bullied British Columbia teenager Amanda Todd into suicide has had his 13-year sentence from a Canadian court converted to a six-year prison term in Europe.An Amsterdam court handed Aydin Coban the six-year sentence on Thursday, which is the maximum allowed under Dutch law and is longer than the 4 1/2 years prosecutors recommended to the court in July.

Todd was 15 when she died by suicide at her home in Metro Vancouver in October 2012, weeks after posting a video watched by millions around the world describing being harassed and extorted by an online predator.Coban was convicted in B.C. Supreme Court last year on charges of child pornography, child luring and criminal harassment after the court heard he blackmailed Todd to expose herself in front of a webcam.He was already serving an 11-year sentence in the Netherlands after being convicted on similar charges involving the online extortion of 33 young girls and gay men.

The sentence imposed Thursday will be served after he completes his current prison time next year.He was extradited from the Netherlands to Canada in 2020 to stand trial on charges linked to the Todd case, but only on condition that his sentence would be served in a Dutch prison.That meant that prison time imposed by the B.C. court last year had to be converted into a sentence in the Netherlands.

An information sheet by the Netherlands’ Ministry of Justice shows Dutch prisoners who are sent home after being convicted and sentenced abroad can either have prison terms commuted to the length of time they would have received for their crime in the Netherlands, or the term would be continued and served in full.But a continued sentence "may never exceed the maximum sentence for the relevant crime in the Netherlands," the document says.Coban was returned to the Netherlands from Canada in November 2022 following his conviction and sentencing in B.C.

Latest news

WorldDec 22, 2025

Passenger bus crash on Java toll road kills at least 15 in Indonesia

At least 15 people were killed after a passenger bus overturned on a toll road on Indonesia’s main island of Java early Monday, according to emergency officials. The inter-province bus was carrying 34 passengers when it lost control shortly after midnight while travelling from the capital, Jakarta, to the historic city of Yogyakarta. The vehicle struck a concrete barrier and rolled onto its side, said Budiono, a regional search and rescue agency chief who uses a single name. Rescue teams were dispatched to the scene and worked through the night to evacuate victims and provide medical assista
u-s-visits-to-canada-edge-higher-in-october-as-canadians-cut-back-on-trips-south-statistics-canada-reports
CanadaDec 22, 2025

U.S. visits to Canada edge higher in October as Canadians cut back on trips south, Statistics Canada reports

Travel by U.S. residents to Canada showed modest growth in October, marking the first year-over-year increase in eight months, according to new data from Statistics Canada. The agency says Americans made just over 1.8 million trips to Canada during the month, a three per cent rise compared with October last year. The increase comes as Canadians continued to reduce travel to the United States. Statistics Canada reports Canadian residents made about 2.34 million return trips from the U.S. in October, a sharp drop of more than 26 per cent compared with the same period in 2024. The ongoing decline
b-c-police-watchdog-investigating-death-of-man-following-rcmp-arrest-in-prince-rupert
BCDec 22, 2025

B.C. police watchdog investigating death of man following RCMP arrest in Prince Rupert

British Columbia’s police oversight agency has launched an investigation after a man died following an interaction with RCMP officers in Prince Rupert over the weekend. According to the Independent Investigations Office of B.C., police were called to a residence shortly after 2:25 p.m. on Saturday in response to a reported assault. Officers attempted to take a man into custody, during which a physical interaction occurred. The watchdog said the man went into medical distress during the arrest. He was transported to hospital, where he later died. The IIO confirmed it was notified of the incid
WorldDec 22, 2025

Senior Russian general killed in car bomb attack in Moscow

A senior Russian military officer has died after a car bomb explosion in the Russian capital, raising new security concerns amid the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Russian authorities say the blast took place Monday in Moscow and is being treated as a targeted attack. Russia’s Investigative Committee said Lieutenant General Fanil Sarvarov was critically injured when an explosive device planted beneath his vehicle detonated. He was rushed to hospital but later died from his injuries, according to investigators. Officials have suggested the explosion may be linked to Ukrainian in
eby-says-ndp-not-looking-to-force-early-election-as-opposition-turmoil-dominates-b-c-politics
BCDec 22, 2025

Eby says NDP not looking to force early election as opposition turmoil dominates B.C. politics

Premier David Eby says his New Democratic Party government is not seeking a snap election in 2026, despite a turbulent year at the legislature and ongoing instability within the Opposition B.C. Conservatives. In a year-end interview, Eby said British Columbians want stability as the province navigates economic pressure, labour unrest and sensitive court rulings involving Indigenous rights. The premier’s comments come after a politically difficult year for the minority-turned-narrow-majority NDP, which won the October 2024 election by a single seat. The government faced backlash over resource

Related News