A hacktivist group claims to have identified the tormentor of Amanda Todd, the teenager who bravely shared her story of bullying and torment on YouTube weeks before she committed suicide.
The 15-year-old was mercilessly bullied, taunted and driven to her death after she made a mistake when she was just 12 years old, and she is still being targeted by cyberbullies.
Amanda was 15 years old when she killed herself
Now, online group Anonymous has claimed to have tracked down the man who stalked Amanda and ultimately drove her to suicide.
Anonymous posted contact information for a 32-year-old male on Pastebin on Tuesday, claiming he frequented websites used by underage girls.
"We are aware of what’s being posted online and certainly following up what we feel is important to follow up," a policeman from the Vancouver area told the Globe and Mail. "[Vigilantes] run the risk of committing a criminal offence.
"There are a number of things under the Criminal Code at our disposal if the right evidence is obtained to lay a charge under those circumstances."
Amanda documented her heart-breaking story in a video five weeks before she was found hanged in her home in Vancouver, Canada.
Throughout the video, Amanda remains silent, telling her story using a series of placards. One particularly heart-breaking message reads:
In the footage, which was uploaded in September, she describes her personal hell, of attempting suicide by drinking bleach, and being beaten up by a gang at her Canadian school.
Amanda in happier times
Amanda's torment started when she flashed a supposed friend online. The "friend" had gained her trust over a chat room and stalked her for three years.
The stalker circulated the topless photo of the then 12-year-old to her friends, family and teachers. Amanda started suffering from anxiety and depression, turning to drink and drugs.
"I can never get that photo back," she said on the YouTube video.
In the description of her video on YouTube, Amanda writes:
"I'm struggling to stay in this world, because everything just touches me so deeply. I'm not doing this for attention. I'm doing this to be an inspiration and to show that I can be strong.
"I did things to myself to make pain go away, because I'd rather hurt myself then someone else. Haters are haters but please don't hate, although im sure I'll get them. I hope I can show you guys that everyone has a story, and everyones future will be bright one day, you just gotta pull through. I'm still here aren't I?"
The heart-breaking video, titled My Story: Struggling, bullying, suicide and self harm, lasts just over nine minutes, and has now been seen by more than 55,000 people.
Amanda was eventually driven out of school and moved to a different area but the stalker followed her there too. Despite the photo being circulated around her second school, she started to recover, as a result of counselling.
"She felt like a normal teenager, she was so proud of herself," her mother told the Vancouver Sun. "She went out with friends, she went to the mall, she said to me, 'Mom, this is the first time that I feel normal again. I have had the best day ever'."
Carol says she doesn't know what happened but soon after something took place which drove Amanda to suicide.
"She left me a video message on her phone. I'm not ready to look at it yet," Carol told the Canadian paper.
Facebook pages have been set up in memory of the teen but internet trolls have posted spiteful messages on the social networking site. One photo posted on the site shows the silhouette of a female body hanging dead, accompanied by the phrase "Todding".
Others say the teenager "deserved" the harassment and bullying for lifting her top up to someone over a web cam.
Amanda's mother is now dedicating herself to raising the profile of her daughter's tragic story. "I have lost one child but know she wanted her story to save 1,000 more," Carol says. "One of Amanda’s goals was to get her message out there and have it used as a learning tool for others."
If you need advice about bullying, visit BullyingUK or call: 0808 800 2222.
Warning: some people may find the content in this video upsetting.