WARNING: This article contains details about sexual harassment and may concern those who have experienced it or know someone who has.
A British Columbia RCMP officer testified Monday at the trial of the Dutch man accused of sexually assaulting Amanda Todd that the Port Coquitlam teenager wanted the harassing messages she was receiving to stop.
Const. Robin Sedgman told British Columbia Supreme Court in New Westminster that she met with Todd and her parents several times in 2011 because of the messages the teenager was receiving through her social media accounts.
“She wanted to disappear. He wanted to stop.”
Todd took his own life in 2012 at the age of 15 after being exploited online for three years.
Dutchman Aydin Koban, 44, has pleaded not guilty to five criminal charges related to Todd’s case, including extortion, possession of child pornography and child luring. He has not been charged in Todd’s death.
Aidan Coban is shown in photos from the time of his arrest entered into evidence at his trial in British Columbia Supreme Court. The 44-year-old has pleaded not guilty to extortion, possession of child pornography and child enticing in connection with the cyberbullying of Amanda Todd. (BC Supreme Court)
Sedgman said she first met with Todd and her parents, Carol and Norman, at a British Columbia police station to discuss the messages the teenager was receiving, including where the attached videos and photos were coming from.
The RCMP officer also shared a tip on how Todd can stay safe online. She said the teenager appeared “irritated” by the conversation with police and “didn’t seem too concerned about what was going on”.
Police visits to the father’s house
On January 3, 2011, Sedgman and RCMP Const. Andrea Shadek, who also testified at trial, went to Norman Todd’s residence in Maple Ridge to meet with him and Amanda.
Sedgman testified that while the officers were there, Amanda logged into her Facebook account to show them the messages she was receiving from an account with the name Tyler Boo and printed them out.
Amanda Todd’s mother, Carol, is pictured outside the courts in New Westminster, British Columbia, on June 6, 2022. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
She said that again, Todd was not receptive to suggestions that he delete his social media accounts or at least limit his Facebook friend list to people he knows personally. According to Sedgman, the teenager said she did not feel threatened by the messages at the time.
The two officers, who both worked as investigators in the sex crimes unit, went to Norman Todd’s home a second time on October 26, 2011.
This time Shadek went up to Amanda’s room to talk to her privately.
“She looked more sad than anything else,” Shadek testified Monday.
The employee told the court she spoke to Todd about how social media could be used to track a user’s location. She said the long conversation gave her the impression the teenager was very lonely.
The video links have been sent to the police
In early November 2011, Sedgman said she received information from a staff member at Maple Ridge that an email had been sent to members of the school Amanda Todd was attending at the time.
The email contained four hyperlinks to videos and photos where the 15-year-old bared her breasts.
Sedgman testified that in one of the videos, Todd appears to be having a conversation with someone about whether or not he should expose himself before lifting up his shirt and exposing his breasts to the camera for approximately 10 seconds.
The investigation was handed over to Shadek in November.
Shadek testified that she called the Todd family that month to tell them that the BC RCMP’s child exploitation unit had been unable to trace the IP addresses from which the messages and emails came.
She again spoke to Amanda about her online and physical safety and advised her to delete her social media accounts. Shadek said the teenager was still not happy with the offer, but by the end of the phone call she had agreed that she would delete her Facebook account the next time she accessed the Internet.
The trial is expected to last another three weeks.
Support is available for anyone who has been sexually assaulted. You can access crisis lines and local support services through this Government of Canada website or Canadian Association to End Violence Database. If you are in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that of others around you, please call 911.
If you or someone you know is struggling, here’s where to get help:
This guide from Center for Addiction and Mental Health outlines how to talk about suicide with someone you are worried about.
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