Port Moody police have announced charges have been filed for a man in Abbotsford, B.C., after an alleged sextortion incident.
“In October 2021, a young female contacted the Port Moody Police Department detailing an event where someone had obtained her password-protected intimate images from a cloud-based platform,” said Port Moody Const. Sam Zacharias.
“The suspect threatened to distribute the images if she didn’t send money.”
Port Moody’s major crime unit conducted a year-long investigation, including an arrest, a search warrant, and the seizure of numerous electronic devices.
On Nov. 29, 2022, the BC Prosecution Service approved charges against Jesse Toews.
Toews has been charged with possession of child pornography and using a computer password to commit an offence.
“This investigation was sophisticated and technical, uncovering other alleged compromised data and other potential victims,” said Zacharias.
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“We commend the victim for coming forward to police and reporting this incident. If you are the victim of extortion, we recommend you call the police immediately.”
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The charges come just months after a B.C. Supreme Court handed down a precedent-setting sentence against Dutch man Aydin Coban in the Amanda Todd “sextortion” case.
Prosecutors in that case had sought a 12-year sentence, but Justice Martha Devlin took the unusual step of exceeding it, sentencing Coban to 13-years in prison.
In her sentence, Devlin stressed the sentence was meant to send a message to would-be online predators targeting children.
“Such relentless and callous exploitation of vulnerable children, made possible by a reliance on the shadowy, diabolical world of internet anonymity will not be tolerated,” Devlin ruled.
“Those who engage in devious destructive and predatory behaviours like Mr. Coban must know that they will be subject to severe sanctions.”
Toews, whose legal records show was born in 1994, is next due in court on Dec. 14.
Support is available for those who have been victimized:
- The Department of Justice Victim Services Directory includes a list of support services in your area.
- Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868 (toll-free) Available 24/7 or Text CONNECT 686868
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