Robert Campbell sentenced to 6 years for cyberbullying campaign

An Ottawa man who targeted dozens of people with fake social media accounts and doctored photos in an international cyberbullying campaign has been sentenced to six years in prison.

Robert Campbell, 42, pleaded guilty to 63 charges of identity fraud, defamation and criminal harassment in a case that involved dozens of people across Canada, the U.S. and U.K.

The Crown had been seeking a sentence of eight years in prison for his crimes, while the defence argued for a lesser sentence of three years.

With time served, Campbell's sentence works out to four years and 11 months.

Campbell sat in the Ontario Superior Court in Ottawa and looked at Judge Ann Alder during the entire sentencing, seemingly paying close attention to her words, often nodding in agreement.

In handing down the sentence, Alder said Campbell showed a willingness to turn his life around and had told court he has the support of his wife.

8-month investigation

At his sentencing hearing, Campbell apologized for his behaviour, saying to victims in the courtroom, "I will never trouble you again."

Campbell was charged in August after an eight-month investigation involving law enforcement agencies in B.C., Ontario, New Brunswick and Halifax, as well as Michigan in the U.S. and Hertfordshire and London in the U.K.

A search warrant was executed at his home in Ottawa's Britannia Park neighbourhood and computers were seized.

Multiple aliases were used in the cyber attacks, that included fake social media accounts and email addresses that defamed men, women and their family members, some of them minors.

Harassed for 12 years

One of his victims, Roland Stieda, told CBC News during the sentencing hearing last month that he was harassed for 12 years, after working with Campbell for a few months in 2002.

Stieda said the campaign against him included false social media accounts filled with "hateful things" and false email accounts used to communicate with people in his professional and personal life.

Stieda said he was baffled at why he was targeted.

"To be honest, I barely remember the man," Stieda said.

"That's been one of the most difficult things in all of this is, is whenever something happens, the first thing people ask is, 'What did you do?' And I can't think of any run-in I had with Mr. Campbell."