The man dubbed “the largest facilitator of child porn on the planet” could spend 30 years to life in prison if he is extradited to the United States.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) formal extradition request is due to be certified on Thursday before Eric Eoin Marques appears in Dublin’s High Court. He has been held without bail since his arrest.
The 28-year-old, who has Irish and American citizenship, is accused of running an anonymous online hosting server, Freedom Hosting, which is home to more than 100 websites. These websites are described by the FBI as violent, graphic and depicting the rape and torture of prepubescent children.
Marques was based on Mountjoy Square in Dublin City Center.
Just 50 percent of criminal suspects sought by the United States are surrendered by the Irish courts. The Irish Independent reports that this “figure could be higher as the available rulings do not include consent surrenders that are not contested in the courts.”
Marques’ arrest follows a year-long operation by the FBI and the Irish authorities.
He is being requested by the United States to surrender on four charges of distributing, conspiring to distribute, advertising and aiding and abetting the advertisement of child porn.
The FBI also told the Irish Independent that as the investigation is ongoing there could be further charges.
The reason the FBI are continuing to investigate Marques’ case is the decrease in illegal activity online that occurred once his host server was shut down.
The FBI, which told the High Court that Marques could serve life in prison owing to the consecutive sentencing regime in that country, claims Marques is the sole administrator of the anonymous hosting service.
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