‘Facilitator’ of child porn refused stay of extradition proceedings

The High Court has refused to put a stay of the extradition proceedings of an Irish man wanted in the US and described as "the largest facilitator of child porn in the world".

Eric Eoin Marques is wanted by US authorities to face charges relating to conspiring to distribute and advertise child pornography, and advertising and distributing child pornography. He is alleged to be the owner and administrator of an anonymous hosting site known as Freedom Hosting.

The 28-year-old, with an address at Mountjoy Square, Dublin, has been in custody since his arrest in August of last year. He was refused bail over concerns he represented a flight risk and that he may abscond or interfere with evidence in the case.

The High Court previously heard that the Director of Public Prosecutions had decided not to bring proceedings against Mr Marques with respect to the alleged offences.

The court heard that a detailed letter had been submitted to the DPP, in which it was indicated that Mr Marques would enter a plea of guilty were the offences to be prosecuted in this jurisdiction.

Mr Justice John Edwards last month refused Mr Marques leave to challenge, by way of judicial review, the decision not to prosecute him.

The judge said Mr Marques would also not be granted leave to seek judicial review of the refusal of the DPP.

The court was told that his legal team would go to the Supreme Court over the decision and he was back at the High Court applying to put a stay on the extradition proceedings until after that case is heard.

However, Mr Justice Edwards refused the application and informed Mr Marques that he could also renew his application for a stay before the Supreme Court.

He said he would adjourn the extradition case for a few weeks for that to take place and remanded Mr Marques in custody until November 24th.

The charges against Mr Marques relate to images on over 100 “anonymous websites” described as being extremely violent, graphic and depicting the rape and torture of pre-pubescent children.

The websites in question have “thousands of members” who have posted “millions of images” of child pornography. Some the children involved are infants, the FBI claim.

The extradition court previously heard from FBI Special Agent Brooke Donahue, who described Mr Marques as “the largest facilitator of child porn in the world”.

The High Court also previously heard it was alleged that an examination of Mr Marques’s home computer by gardaí showed that as well as hosting and facilitating the child pornography websites, Mr Marques was also visiting the sites, had direct knowledge of what he was hosting and had administrator access to one site.

It was alleged that Mr Marques was attempting to gain access to foreign website hosting companies using a fraudulent image of a US passport.

The court heard that Marques had "substantial financial resources" – with $1.5 million passing through one bank account – and had searched the internet about whistleblower Edward Snowden and about obtaining a Russian visa.

There was evidence that Freedom Hosting operated off a server space which was allegedly paid for by an account in Eric Marques’s name from a US bank account, and the billing address was through a private mailbox facility in Las Vegas assigned to Eric Marques.

The court heard that if convicted Mr Marques faces spending the remainder of his natural life in prison as the four charges could result in a sentence totalling 100 years.