Madam Speaker, the Government of Canada is deeply concerned by the growing number of Canadians who fall victim to extortion each year. As technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace, so too have the tactics used by most who commit extortion. These extortionists are increasingly sophisticated and difficult to detect. They threaten safety in our communities and, most disturbingly, often target the most vulnerable members of our society. Victims of extortion range from youth and families to small business owners.
One of the most disturbing forms of extortion is sextortion. In these cases, someone threatens to distribute sexually explicit images or videos, often involving minors, unless the victim complies with demands of money, additional content or other actions. Extortion also poses a serious threat to Canadian business owners who receive threats by phone or text demanding payment. Many of these incidents bear the hallmarks of organized crime: coordination, targeted messaging and the use of firearms.
The Criminal Code already provides significant penalties to address these situations. First, the offence of extortion is punishable by imprisonment. In cases involving restricted or prohibited firearms or when extortion is committed by any firearm and in connection with a criminal organization, mandatory minimum penalties of five years for a first offence apply, or even seven years for subsequent offences is provided. In addition, the Criminal Code contains a comprehensive set of offences to particularly protect children and youth from such crimes, including offences related to child pornography and the non-consensual distribution of intimate images.
Canada's laws also clearly target organized crime, including through specific offences in the Criminal Code under sections 467.11 to 467.13, which address participation in crimes committed for the benefit of such organizations. For instance, someone who scouts businesses as potential targets for extortion or a person making threatening calls on behalf of such a group may be charged with participating in the activities of, or committing an offence for the benefit of, a criminal organization. These charges are in addition to the underlining offence of extortion.
When both extortion and organized crime charges are laid, the law requires that sentences be served consecutively and not concurrently, further strengthening the penalties imposed. Conditional sentences are not permitted for organized crime-related extortion or for offences punishable by mandatory minimum penalties.
This said, the government recognizes that more can be done to further address serious crime including extortion. This is why the government has committed to tougher sentencing for violent and organized crime through measures that focus on denunciation and deterrence and protecting children from sextortion by giving law enforcement agencies and prosecutors the tools they need to bring offenders to justice.
The government also recognizes that no one level of government can address this issue alone, and that co-operation with provincial and territorial partners and law enforcement agencies is vital and essential. By working together, we can better support victims, disrupt organized networks and keep Canadians safe.