Jury finds Dutch man Aydin C. guilty of extortion in Amanda Todd case
Those in the Netherlands in life threatening danger should immediately dial 112 for emergencies, and anyone suffering from depression or contemplating suicide can call 113 Zelfmoordpreventie at any time by dialing either 113 or 0800-0113, or by visiting 113.nl.
A Canadian jury found Dutch man Aydin C. guilty on Saturday afternoon of blackmailing Canadian minor Amanda Todd online, according to Canadian media. The then 15-year-old girl took her own life in 2012 as a result of extortion with sexual images.
A video Todd posted on YouTube in which she expressed her despair made the extortion world news. The jury found Aydin C. guilty of all charges against him, including extortion, two counts of possession of child pornography, digital stalking and harassment of a minor.
According to prosecutors in Canada, C. was the one who harassed Todd online. In 2018, he was already sentenced to more than 10 years in prison in the Netherlands for digital stalking, extortion and other sexual offences –– the highest possible sentence. In Canada, C. was charged with, among other things, extortion of Todd, but he was not on trial for her death.
The 44-year-old C. was extradited to Canada in December 2020. About two months ago, his trial began at the Supreme Court in New Westminster, a Canadian suburb of Vancouver. In the trial, C. declared his innocence and his lawyer called no witnesses.
The 12 jurors reached a guilty verdict within a day. The verdict was attended by Amanda Todd's mother, who responded emphatically to every conviction of the charges in the verdict, according to Canadian media.
Reporting by ANP
