News that a Sundre man is facing several charges stemming from an online extortion investigation is a stark reminder about the digital age's dark side.
News that a Sundre man is facing several charges stemming from an online extortion investigation is a stark reminder about the digital age's dark side.
The Internet is a double-edged sword — never since the printing press has a new technology made it possible for the masses to access limitless information at their fingertips.
From pointless but fun content like cute and funny cat videos to the latest on developing global news that's updated almost by the minute, there's an ocean of information available to anyone with a web connection.
But while it has the potential to empower people, the Internet also provides a platform for some to exploit others. While there are scammers who prey on random people, there are others who seek petty retribution against a former relationship partner.
During a relationship, which should be based on trust, a couple might engage in recording or photographing intimate moments. That's not even new to the digital age — there have been couples taking intimate and private pictures only for each other's eyes practically since the advent of film photography. There's nothing wrong with that.
But problems can arise if a relationship goes sour, as highlighted by the recent case in which Sundre resident Jeffrey Lance Hughes, 56, was charged following a police investigation. Click here for that story.
Hughes allegedly secretly videotaped an adult Ontario woman engaging in intimate acts at some point during their relationship, which has since ended.
Sadly, this kind of development is not even new.
Last year, an infamous individual in the U.S. who had popularized "revenge porn" by providing a web platform for jaded exes to shame their former partners by posting intimate pictures that were taken either in private with consent or in secret without consent, was sentenced to two and a half years in jail.
Hunter Moore's website, which featured images of both sexes, launched in 2010 and was closed down two years later after many of the people pictured were outraged by the publicity, claiming that the sensitive photos had been hacked from their personal computers or shared privately with former boyfriends or girlfriends.
Because of such abuses, the law had to be updated. The revenge porn law is relatively new and was introduced to address the issue of angry, vengeful individuals who attempt to shame and extort former relationship partners with certain demands — usually money — to keep intimate images private.
"This is the first time I've been involved with this type of charge," said the Sundre RCMP detachment's Cpl. Joe Mandel, referring to the charges laid against Hughes.
So before anyone lets a partner record or photograph an intimate moment, that individual really has to ask him or herself just how much they trust the person they're with.
And if their partner secretly took video or pictures without their consent and they later end up being blackmailed, they certainly shouldn't be ashamed — it wasn't their fault — and give in to any demands, but instead immediately call the police.
— Simon Ducatel Round Up editor
