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Bridgewater Police Chief John Collyer told the Canadian Press the laws provide cops with a necessary tool in addressing cyber crimes."Whether it's hit the right balance or not in terms of severity, and keeping in mind we're dealing with young people … time will tell," he said.The legislation comes after the 2013 suicide of Rehtaeh Parsons, the Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia teen who hung herself after she was allegedly gang raped. Photos of the assault were spread around Parsons' hometown, resulting in Parsons being tormented by her peers.Parsons' dad Glen Canning told VICE the sexting trial signifies a "very big learning curve" for the community in terms of making people realize the gravity of distributing intimate images without consent."This isn't boys being boys, this is beyond that. This is something that could really really hurt somebody."He pointed out that because the boys are young offenders, a conviction won't follow them around for the rest of their lives. However, sharing these kinds of photographs could do long-lasting damage to victims, as was the case with his daughter.Read more: Canada Needs To Catch Up To The Present With Cyberbullying Laws That Work
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