Dutch man Aydin Coban convicted of sexually extorting B.C. teen Amanda Todd

WARNING: This article contains details of sexual extortion and may affect those who have experienced it or know someone affected by it.

Dutch national Aydin Coban has been convicted ofextortion, twocounts of possession of child pornography, child luring andcriminal harassmentagainst Amanda Todd, the B.C. teenager whose story spread around the globe after she died by suicide nearly a decade ago.

A jury delivered theverdict in Supreme Court in New Westminster, B.C.,after onedayof deliberation.

Todd's mother, Carol Todd, sat in the back row of the audience gallery Saturday, taking notes.She repositioned herself when Coban returned to the courtroom, within his line of sight.

She reacted strongly as each guilty verdict was read out in court.

Coban, wearing a navy blue button down shirt, showed little emotion as the verdict was read.

Speakingto CBC outside the courtroom, Toddappeared overjoyed. While shesaid she didn't want to use "happy words" to describe the verdict, she said it was exciting to finally have someclosure. She describedthe conviction on all counts asa "just"decision one that came as a relief,many years after losing her daughter.

"If I could say a message to Amanda, it would be that we always believed you," she said.

"She's not here, but she may be somewhere watching us. This is her moment," Todd added, thanking the B.C. government, Crown prosecutors and Dutch authorities for all of their hard work.

Todd said she believes the trial has set a precedent in Canada and around the world that showspeople suspected of "sextortion" can be extradited to stand trial in another country.

Theverdict comes afterseven weeks of testimony involving dozens of witnesses, exhibits and evidencepresented by Crown prosecutorsprior to the start of closing arguments.

Coban's defence lawyer did not callany evidence in the trial.

On Friday, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Martha Devlinspent the day instructingthe jurythey could only find Coban guilty of the charges against him if the Crown had proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt. Otherwise, she said, they must acquit him.

Over the course of several hours, Devlinreviewed testimony and evidence that had been presented to jurorsduring the the lengthy and complextrial. She guided the jurors through the definition of each criminal count sworn against Coban, explaining to them the criteria the Crown needed to meet in order to convict.

After returning to discuss the next steps to sentencing, Devlin said she spoke to each member of the jury individually and thanked them for their work.

"They asked me to convey their sincere appreciation to both the Crown and defence for your professionalism and conduct throughout [the trial]," she said.

Years of harassment

Todd died by suicide on Oct. 10,2012, at the age of 15, after being exploited online over a period of three years. Before she died, shetold her story in a nine-minute video posted on YouTube.

The video spread around the world after her death, with14.8 million views as of August.

Coban, 44, hadpleaded not guilty to five criminal charges relating to Todd's case, including extortion, possession of child pornography and child luring. He was not charged with Todd's death.

Crown attorney Louise Kenworthywrapped up her closing arguments earlier last week, saying there was a "treasure trove of information'' linking Coban to the harassment and extortion of Todd.

Earlier in the trial, a Dutch officer testified thata deleted video file called "AmandaTodd.wmv'' had been played on one of the devices in December 2010, corresponding with a time when Todd was being actively harassed.

But Coban's defenceargued thatsharing a link is "not child pornography."

The video was sent out as a link, but there was nothing to show it was stored as data on the seized devices, Joseph Saulnier told the jury on the second day of his closing arguments.

The defence lawyer also disputed the Crown's allegations that Coban was the one behind 22 online accounts that harassed and extorted Todd.

Earlier in the trial, the jury heard from a B.C. RCMP officerwho had initially investigated Todd's harassment allegations in 2011. He said Toddwanted the harassing messages she was receiving to stop.

Todd's parents went to police when the messages to their daughter continued even after she had changed schools.

Todd's mother, Carol,has attended every day of Coban's trial, sitting at the back of the courtrooma few metres from the prisoner's box. The accused sat with his back to her.

The Crown and Coban's defence team will reconvene with Justice Devlinon Thursday, Aug. 12 to set a date for a sentencing hearing.

If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, here's where to get help:

• Talk Suicide Canada: 1-833-456-4566 (phone)| 45645 (text between 4 p.m. and midnight ET)
• Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868 (phone), live chat counselling online
• Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention: Find a 24-hour crisis centre

This guide from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health outlines how to talk about suicide with someone you're worried about.

Police also suggest the following to avoid falling victim to sexual extortion:

• Never answer video calls from people you don't know.
• If you mistakenly connect with someone you don't know over live stream, immediately hang up.
• Always answer video calls with the camera turned off until you know the identity ofthe person calling.

Anyone who finds themselves targeted should immediately stop communicating with the suspected scammerand report it to police. Child exploitation can be reported online atwww.cybertip.ca.

Police also sayvictims should not comply with threats, and should keep records of any correspondence with the perpetrator.