Aydin Coban pleads not guilty in Amanda Todd cyberbullying case

Editor’s note: This story contains details which may be disturbing to some readers, including mention of suicide. If you need help or just someone to talk to, you can call B.C.’s line at 1-800-SUICIDE any time. The national line is 1-833-456-4566

The trial of a man accused of tormenting Port Coquitlam teen Amanda Todd more than 10 years ago began in B.C. Supreme Court in New Westminster Monday.

Aydin Coban, 42, has pleaded not guilty on all counts related to Todd. He faces several charges including extortion and harassment, as well as possession and distribution of child pornography. Coban was extradited to Canada to face charges in B.C. last year. 

Coban is also facing two counts of importing or distributing child pornography.

Related articles:

• ‘It has been a long road’: mother hopes her daughter’s alleged online tormentor brought to justice in B.C.

• Documentary featuring Amanda Todd’s mom tackles cyberbullying

• Dutch man accused of harassing B.C. teenager Amanda Todd extradited to Canada

Back in 2017, Coban was sentenced in the Netherlands to 11 years in prison for fraud and blackmail in relation to incidents of cyberbullying involving dozens of other young girls as well as gay men.

Amanda Todd’s heartbreaking story was shared around the world after she took her own life following years of cyberbullying. (Source: YouTube)

Todd died by suicide in October 2012 after posting a video online using a series of flash cards to describe the bullying and harassment she endured for posting an intimate photo online.

Amanda’s mom, Carol, has started a two-month long online fundraising campaign to raise money for the Amanda Todd Legacy Society to help victims of bulling, cyberbullying, and exploitation.

FILE PHOTO: Carol Todd sits on a bench dedicated to her late daughter Amanda Todd at Settlers Park in Port Coquitlam, B.C., on Sunday October 5, 2013.  THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Due to the law surrounding vulnerable persons, the identification of a child depicted in child pornography materials falls under a publication ban.

Todd’s mother, as well as the consortium of major media outlets across Canada, including CityNews, brought forward a challenge in order to lift the ban in January.