Teen sentenced after using Facebook to extort girl, possess child porn

Facebook under a microscope. (Gil C / Shutterstock.com)

HALIFAX -- A teenage boy was given a conditional discharge Friday after being convicted of extortion and possessing child pornography he obtained by threatening a young girl on Facebook.

The boy, who cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, was 16 at the time of the offences in 2012.

He was convicted of the offences, as well as possession of pornography for the purpose of distribution, on April 2 by Judge Anne Derrick.

In her verdict at the time, Derrick wrote that while the case was about allegations of criminal offences, it was also "about lonely, anxious teenagers and the harm caused by the callous exploitation of Internet anonymity."

Outside court on Friday, Crown attorney Mark Heerema said the case has wider implications for society and the justice system.

"It is a troubling case on many levels," he said. "It's a case that certainly highlights an area of our society that will present increasing challenges for not just courts, but law enforcement, parents and teenagers themselves."

In her written verdict, Derrick said it was alleged that the boy created two fake Facebook accounts and reached out to two teenage girls, luring them into a friendship with the fictitious characters.

The Crown said the boy then decided to kill off one of the fake characters and used the other fictitious Facebook persona to tell the girls that she killed herself by cutting her throat.

Court heard that the news prompted the girls to both attempt suicide, resulting in their hospitalization and a growing suspicion about whether the Facebook characters were real.

The Crown alleged that the boy said he would reveal one the character's true identities if one of the girls sent him a topless selfie, which she did only to be threatened that he would publish them if she didn't send more.

Asked how the girl is doing today, Heerema replied: "It's our hope, it's everyone's hope, that she will do well, certainly she showed and demonstrated a lot of courage in these proceedings."

Derrick said the teen "endangered the life and safety" of the victim and that the boy regrets posting the photos based on what he told the author of a pre-sentence report.

"I'm disgusted by my actions, so much so that it keeps me up at night," Derrick quoted the boy as saying.

"I want fair punishment whatever the judge sees fit. I want to feel as though I somewhat paid for what I did."

The images have been destroyed from court evidence but might never be completely removed from the Internet.

"This is a case that presents the potential for victimization, which goes forward indefinitely," said Heerema.

The boy was diagnosed with social anxiety when he was younger and at the time of the offences he would only leave his bedroom for food. His family has had numerous mental health interventions, but the boy avoided treatment, Derrick said.

In her sentence, Derrick released the teenager on condition that he live with his parents, and stay off computers and social media for two years unless for school work.

"I have concerns about social media restrictions further isolating (the boy) and impair his ability to overcome his social anxiety," said Derrick.

He was also sentenced to 100 hours of community service, must not have any contact with the victim and report to a counsellor when asked.

In her verdict in April, Derrick said the trial heard evidence that the accused and the complainant in the case were "fragile and vulnerable," and were unable to function confidently in school and the community.

"Talking on the Internet was easier than interacting in person," she wrote.

"Casual cruelty, shattered trust, attempted suicide and criminal charges are the bitter harvest of the shadowy, distorted world these teens inhabited."