A high school friend of BC teenager Amanda Todd testified that he took action when he saw what he described as a “pornographic” photo of her on Facebook in November 2011. James Bennett, who took the stand at the trial of Dutch national Aidin Koban on Tuesday, told the court he was 13 at the time and had attended Westview Secondary with Todd in Maple Ridge. Coban has pleaded not guilty to extortion, molestation, luring children and possession of child pornography. The Crown alleges Todd was stalked for years by someone with 22 fake accounts who tried to use explicit photos of the teenager to get her to perform sexual acts online. Todd committed suicide at the age of 15 in 2012. Bennett, who is now 24, testified that he reported the image on Facebook, told others to delete the footage and also called the police.
‘FELT WRONG’
Off the court, he remembered Todd as someone with an open heart and kind soul. “I didn’t want those images of my friend to be shared and I didn’t want other people to see them and I didn’t want other people to be exposed to it,” she said. “At its root, it felt wrong to have it up there and it felt like the right thing to do to make sure it was removed.” Todd’s mother, Carol, said hearing Bennett’s testimony “warms my heart.” “I think as a 13-year-old he was smart, brave and wise,” he said outside court. “The important thing to take away from what James did was that we have to talk to our kids about what’s right and what’s wrong and if they see something and they know it’s not appropriate, not right, not safe, they have to you mention it.” An officer also testified that he visited Bennett’s home after his report and took pictures of what was on the computer screen. Bennett told the court the name on the Facebook account sharing the material was ‘Austin Collins’. He testified that the account profile showed he was also a Westview student and did not know anyone in real life by that name. Amanda’s mother previously testified that she heard her daughter scream after seeing a Facebook account with the same name using a topless photo of her as its profile picture in November 2011. She told the court that the account was also linked to friends and her daughter’s online acquaintances. The trial also heard from a former vice principal and counselor at the school, Tricia McCuaig, who testified that she contacted police in November 2011. She told the court that she and other administrators and staff had received an email from an unknown person about the Todd. The email referred to an explicit video of Todd and contained links.
‘I MISS’
Bennett said his heart goes out to Todd’s family and everyone affected by her death. “She was always friends with other people, even though a lot of people weren’t necessarily her friends,” she said. “I think she would be happy to see the impact her story has created…the need for education that the whole movement has created. If I spoke to her again, I would say that I miss her.” In the month before her death, Todd shared a video online showing her silently holding flash cards detailing years of torture. Coban’s defense previously said the case is about whether the Crown can prove who was behind the messages sent to Todd. Testimony in the trial is expected to continue Thursday. If you or someone you know is in crisis, here are some resources available.
Suicide Prevention Canada Helpline (1-833-456-4566) Center for Addiction and Mental Health (1 800 463-2338) Crisis Services Canada (1-833-456-4566 or text 45645) Children’s Helpline (1-800-668-6868)
If you need immediate help call 911 or go to the nearest hospital.
