B.C. woman's sextortion claim dismissed after image found to be lookalike
A damages claim from a B.C. woman allegedly targeted in a sextortion attempt has been dismissed – after the purported blackmail material turned out to depict a lookalike, of sorts.
The woman told the province's Civil Resolution Tribunal her ex-boyfriend tried coercing her into having sex with him by threatening to share a compromising image of her if she refused.
The image features two people 'engaged in sexual intercourse' but does not show their faces, according to the tribunal's decision, which was published online this week.
The decision does not name the woman or her ex, for privacy reasons.
The woman sought $5,000 in damages under B.C.'s Intimate Images Protection Act (IIPA), but the case fell apart after the ex-boyfriend revealed the picture was not actually her.
'Instead, he said it was a screenshot of a couple from an adult film on Reddit,' tribunal member Megan Stewart wrote, in her June 3 decision.
The claimant accepted that was the case – despite seeing a 'strong resemblance' between the body of the woman in the image and her own – after she was able to track down the original video.
But she continued to pursue damages against her ex-boyfriend over the allegation he had tried 'forcing her to meet him for sex,' according to the decision.
Stewart ultimately dismissed the claim, noting that for a case like hers to be successful under the IIPA, the law is clear that the image must 'depict' the victim – which the tribunal member said she 'had trouble concluding' in these circumstances.
'While (the woman) initially said she was certain the image was of her because of an identifying birthmark, she later acknowledged it was not,' Stewart wrote.
The tribunal member added there was no 'suggestion or evidence' that the ex-boyfriend had altered the image to make it resemble the woman, or shared it anywhere while falsely representing it as her.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
6 minutes ago
- CTV News
CF Montreal defender Joel Waterman fined by MLS
CF Montréal's Joel Waterman plays during an MLS soccer match against the Philadelphia Union, Wednesday, July 16, 2025, in Chester, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) CF Montreal defender Joel Waterman has been fined by Major League Soccer for violating the league's policy regarding simulation/embellishment. The amount of the fine was undisclosed. The incident occurred in the 73rd minute of Montreal's 3-1 win over the New England Revolution on Friday. Waterman was shown a yellow card along with New England midfielder Carles Gil. This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 29, 2025.
CBC
7 minutes ago
- CBC
Owner of Winnipeg car-recycling company accused of stealing, damaging cars for scrap sales
The owner of a Winnipeg car-recycling company is accused of being behind a series of vehicle thefts in the Transcona neighbourhood earlier this month. In a statement of claim filed with the Manitoba Court of the King's Bench on July 22, provincial criminal property forfeiture director Lisa Bryce alleges Cory Ronnie James Fincaryk, owner of Winnipeg Auto Recycling, stole and damaged multiple vehicles in order to sell the scrap for profit. Fincaryk was arrested on July 16. He was charged with nine counts of vehicle theft and five counts of mischief over $5,000. The filing alleges one of Fincaryk's employees was also arrested. The employee is not named as a defendant in the statement of claim, which has not yet been tested in court. According to the filing, Fincaryk and employees of Winnipeg Auto Recycling used company tow trucks to steal vehicles, taking them back to a property in East St. Paul where they would smash windows, dent body panels and use spray paint to mark them with WAR — an acronym for Winnipeg Auto Recycling. "The purpose of damaging the stolen vehicles in this manner was to make them appear as scrap vehicles," Bryce wrote in the claim. Fincaryk's company then sold the badly-damaged vehicles to Industrial Metals, a metal recycling facility in the city's east end, the claim states. Industrial Metals is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit and no wrongdoing is alleged on the company's part. Teah Sawa, whose minivan was towed from outside her home, said the vehicle was essential to her routine as a single mother to two children with special needs. She used it to take the children to and from medical appointments. The van was really special to her children, too, who decorated it with decals to make it their own, she said. Manitoba Public Insurance told her the van was destroyed and sitting in a lot on Plessis Road. Sawa took her kids to see the vehicle and they held "a little van funeral," she said. "The roof was down to the floor. It was completely crushed. It looked more like a hotdog than a van," Sawa said. She's now driving a rental vehicle until she can find an affordable replacement. According to the statement of claim, Winnipeg Auto Recycling sold 62 cars for $40,000 and more than 1.9 million units of scrap metal for $330,000 to Industrial Metals between June and July. In the legal filing, Bryce said the forfeiture unit has started proceedings to seize some of Fincaryk's assets, including a residential property in Transcona, funds on deposit in multiple bank accounts, two tow trucks, one pickup truck, and a trailer. The claim also names the Royal Bank of Canada and Scotiabank as defendants, as Bryce said Fincaryk may hold personal and/or business accounts there. The lawsuit said Computershare Trust Company of Canada facilitates the mortgage on the Transcona residence and is also listed as a defendant, as is TD Auto Finance, which has a registered interest in the trailer. Bryce is requesting an interim order to preserve Fincaryk's property for 60 days so that it cannot be sold, transferred or damaged. Sawa said she was shocked to see that a neighbour is alleged to have stolen her vehicle. "It's surprising to hear that somebody from this area was stealing from their own community like that. It kind of hits a little bit closer to home," she said. She hopes car theft victims will be able to join the civil suit against Fincaryk and Winnipeg Auto Recycling. Auto recycler accused of using tow trucks to steal vehicles 14 hours ago Winnipeg police have arrested two people in connection with a scheme they say involved an auto recycling company stealing vehicles off the street for scrap metal. According to court documents, at least nine vehicles were taken between July 2 and July 14 in Winnipeg.
National Post
17 minutes ago
- National Post
Banned Canada coach explains move to New Zealand: 'I didn't feel safe'
WELLINGTPN — Former Canada women's football coach Bev Priestman said Wednesday she 'didn't feel safe' living in North America following her one-year ban for spying at the Paris Olympics. Article content Wellington Phoenix announced Wednesday that Priestman would take over as head coach of its women's team, returning to football in the country she was banned for spying on with a drone, New Zealand. She has signed a two-year contract. Article content Article content Article content The 39-year-old was visibly emotional as she discussed her suspension, and how nervous she is to be returning to the sport. Article content 'I didn't feel safe,' Priestman said of living in Canada after the Olympics. Article content 'That's being brutally honest. It was very difficult for my family, and I have to live with that. Article content 'Obviously it was an absolute media frenzy. You've got people knocking at your door and everything, and I've got a little boy. Article content 'Without going into too much detail, it was very difficult. We knew we had to get out of that country.' Article content Governing body FIFA banned Priestman for one year after her coaching team used a drone to snoop on New Zealand before they played at the Paris games. Article content New Zealand had spotted drones flying over their training sessions before their opening match and reported it to officials. Article content An investigation found the Canadian team had been spying on rival training sessions for some time. Article content Priestman said she is prevented from speaking about the situation in detail, due to ongoing legal discussions. Article content But on her return to New Zealand she said she had talked to players and officials. Article content She said the move to Wellington was an opportunity to 'reset' her career, and rebuild. Article content On Tuesday night, hours after her ban was lifted, she ran her first coaching session in more than a year. Article content 'I celebrated last night coaching the under-7s, my son's team, in the pouring Wellington rain,' Priestman said. Article content 'That was a nice, humbling experience. They got all the energy from me in that moment because I've just been itching to do that.' Article content Priestman won the Olympic gold with Canada at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and is the best credentialed coach to come to the women's A League. Article content She said she had learned from her ban, and her experience with Canada, and would be a better coach for it. Article content 'There's certain values that I hold and unfortunately, you know, things around me have clouded my judgement,' Priestman said. Article content 'So for me personally, I just want to get back to… I love working with people. I love getting the best out of people. I love being on a football pitch. Article content 'I just want to create a special moment for this city, for this country and move forward.' Article content Wellington Phoenix chairman Rob Morrison said he was 'really pleased to be able to welcome Bev back to football'. Article content
