Podcast Summary: Left To Their Own Devices

Episode 5: Blackmailed

Host: Ava Smithing (Toronto Star)
Date: October 17, 2025

Brief Overview

“Blackmailed” explores the harrowing realities of online sextortion experienced by teenagers. Through the deeply personal account of “Sarah,” a Canadian teenager victimized by predators on social media, the episode draws parallels to the infamous Amanda Todd case, highlighting both personal trauma and structural failures in addressing digital exploitation. Ava Smithing delves into the effects of tech-fueled childhoods, the explosive rise of criminal sextortion, and the ongoing struggles of survivors and their advocates.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Sarah’s Story: From Grief to Exploitation

• Strict Upbringing and Isolation (01:18–03:13)

  • Sarah reflects on strict parental controls and limited TV access growing up.
  • Social isolation intensified after learning of a friend’s suicide, causing Sarah to withdraw from school and her social circle.
  • Quote:
    “[My parents] were quite strict as to what my siblings and I can watch.”
    — Sarah (01:18)

• Seeking Connection Through Apps (03:13–04:50)

  • Sarah discovered Yubo, an app likened to “Tinder for kids,” to connect with new people.
  • Initial comfort from online friends who seemed interested in her well-being.

• Grooming and Escalation (04:50–06:58)

  • Gradually, online interactions—mostly with supposed teenage boys—turned sexual and manipulative.
  • Sarah, feeling cared for, complied with requests to maintain these “friendships.”
  • Quote:
    “They took advantage of that.”
    — Sarah (06:18)

• Blackmail and Descent (06:58–12:03)

  • Online acquaintances demanded explicit photos and, eventually, coerced Sarah into sending illegal videos under threats of exposure.
  • A cycle developed: refusing demands led to blackmail; compliance didn’t end the abuse.
  • When Sarah reported the abuse to the police, they threatened to prosecute her rather than pursue her abuser.
  • Quote:
    “The officer made it seem like I did this by choice. I was not blackmailed to do this.”
    — Sarah (12:03)

• Emotional Fallout and Unsupported Aftermath (12:50–13:37)

  • The police dropped charges, but Sarah’s family suppressed any discussion of the events, leaving her isolated and stigmatized.
  • Sarah eventually left home to escape the burden.

2. Meeting Carol Todd: A Beacon for Victims

• Sarah’s Recovery Support (13:46–14:21)

  • Sarah’s friend’s parents connected her with Carol Todd, a well-known advocate for victims of online abuse.

• Carol’s Motivation: Amanda’s Legacy (14:21–15:44)

  • Carol shares the story of her daughter Amanda, describing her as joyful but also challenged by ADHD and learning disabilities.
  • Amanda’s story tragically echoed Sarah’s—targeted by a predator and relentlessly bullied by peers, ultimately leading to Amanda's suicide.
  • Notable moment:
    “She was my pain in the ass kid, but she also taught me so much about Life, unfortunately, she taught me all about life after she died.”
    — Carol Todd (16:05)

• Amanda’s Experience with Early Social Media (16:44–19:38)

  • At 12–13, Amanda began uploading singing videos to YouTube; she was approached by a man who manipulated her into sending images which he used for ongoing blackmail.
  • When Amanda refused new demands, the predator shared the compromising image widely online.

• Peer Bullying and Unending Abuse (19:38–21:19)

  • Amanda’s peers became an ongoing source of torment, compounding the trauma of the initial online abuse.
  • Police’s preventative advice was only to “keep her offline”—which proved ineffective as the abuser continued stalking her via different aliases.

3. Systemic Problems: Failures and Misinformation

• Criminal Investigation and Accountability (23:05–24:00)

  • Amanda’s abuser, Aiden Coben, was eventually convicted, but not before harming over 38 victims across several countries.
  • Sentence: 11 years (Dutch court), plus 6 years (Canadian court).

• Stigma and Victim-Blaming Continues (25:11–26:51)

  • Sarah reflects that, even after her ordeal, she internalized blame until Carol Todd reframed her understanding:
    “I didn’t choose to do this. I was groomed, I was manipulated.”
    — Sarah (25:18)

• The Ongoing Battle (27:01–28:18)

  • Ava discusses the explosive rise in reported sextortion:
    • 10,000 monthly reports on Snapchat (internal documents)—likely an undercount.
    • Financial sextortion of minors is now often perpetrated by West African cybercriminal groups (“Yahoo Boys”).
    • Quote:
      “Yahoo Boys out of Nigeria have killed more American teens in the past two years than ISIS ever has.”
      — Carol Todd (28:10)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the nature of grooming and vulnerability:
  “So I think once they realized that I was very, very open and very, very gullible...they took advantage of that.”
  — Sarah (06:18)

• On police failure and victim-blaming:
  “The officer made it seem like I did this by choice. I was not blackmailed to do this.”
  — Sarah (12:03)

• On intergenerational connection and gratitude:
  “Nobody has made a bigger impact in my life than Carol has...Because of Carol...I’m a completely different person now.”
  — Sarah (26:08)

• On the paradox of the digital age:
  “The Internet was the source of so much of Amanda’s suffering, But it also gave her a way to tell her story.”
  — Ava Smithing (22:18)

• On the escalation of organized online crime:
  “Sextortion has become a cottage industry for international criminal organizations, organizations who are making millions of dollars by exploiting teenagers.”
  — Ava Smithing (28:00)

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |---------------|--------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00–03:13 | Introduction and Sarah’s early experiences | | 03:20–04:50 | Using Yubo, connecting with strangers | | 06:58–08:58 | Escalation to blackmail and coercion | | 11:08–12:50 | Police response and failure to support victim | | 13:18–13:37 | Aftermath: stigma, running away | | 14:21–16:05 | Carol Todd introduces Amanda’s story | | 19:38–21:19 | Ongoing abuse: predator & peers | | 22:18–23:05 | Amanda’s viral video and legacy | | 23:05–24:00 | Arrest and conviction of Amanda's abuser | | 25:11–26:51 | Carol's support in Sarah's recovery | | 27:01–28:18 | Sextortion today: scale and internationalization |

Episode Tone and Takeaways

The episode is raw, personal, and deeply empathetic, driven by the voices of survivors and advocates. It refuses to sugarcoat the failures of law enforcement, tech platforms, and even well-meaning families. The core message: youth are being left defenseless against organized exploitation, and institutional responses are often more punitive than protective. There is hope in mentorship and advocacy, as shown through Carol’s support of Sarah, but the systemic battle is just beginning.

Resources Noted

• Amanda Todd Legacy Society: Founded by Carol Todd to fight online exploitation.
• Snapchat & Yubo: Major platforms discussed as vectors of abuse.
• Future episode tease: Deeper dive into organized cybercrime (“Yahoo Boys”) and their lethal impact on teens.

For Further Listening

The episode ends promising more on the prevalence and evolution of international sextortion in the digital age, with the next episode exploring financial blackmail gangs.