Eric Eoin Marques: Dark Web’s largest child porn distributor extradited from Ireland to U.S.
A dual-citizen Irish-American man known as the dark web’s largest child porn distributor is now in American custody after being extradited from Ireland. Authorities extradited Eric Eoin Marques, 33, to the U.S. to face federal charges that he allegedly conspired to advertise and distribute child pornography on the dark web. Marques arrived in the United States on March 23, and had his initial appearance on March 25 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Sullivan in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, Maryland.
“Criminals cannot hide on the dark web or in foreign countries,” said U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur. “We will find them and bring them to justice. We are grateful to Irish authorities for their assistance to bring Eric Marques to the United States to face these charges.”
“Child exploitation sites on the dark web present a grave danger to children and unprecedented challenges to the world’s law enforcement agencies,” said Assistant Attorney General Benczkowski.
According to court documents, between July 24, 2008 and July 29, 2013, Marques conspired to advertise and to distribute child pornography, and aided and abetted the advertising and distribution of child pornography, by allegedly operating a free, anonymous web hosting service (AHS) located on the “dark web”, an area of the Internet that is only accessible by means of special software, allowing users and website operators to remain anonymous or untraceable.
The AHS allegedly hosted websites that allowed users to view and share images documenting the sexual abuse of children, including the abuse of prepubescent minors, violent sexual abuse, and bestiality.
One site hosted on the AHS reported that there were almost 1.4 million files that were uploaded and accessible by individuals who visit the hidden service. During 2012 and 2013, FBI agents and employees using computers in Maryland downloaded more than one million files from that website.
As part of the investigation, those files were reviewed and nearly all of the files depict children who are engaging in sexually explicit conduct with adults or other children, posed nude and/or in such a manner as to expose their genitals, in various states of undress, or depict child erotica.
A substantial majority of the images downloaded by the FBI depict prepubescent minor children who are fully or partially nude or engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
If convicted, Marques faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 in prison for conspiracy to advertise child pornography and for aiding and abetting the advertising of child pornography; and a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute child pornography and for aiding and abetting the distribution of child pornography.
(Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Maryland)
~ Posted by: Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Connect with Richard on Facebook and Twitter
