Courts / Dublin / Report
Judge queries whether alleged unexplained monies of "largest facilitator of child porn in the world" are the proceeds of crime
Summary
A High Court judge has raised questions regarding whether alleged unexplained monies belonging to Eric Eoin Marques, referred to by the FBI as 'the largest facilitator of child porn in the world,' are the proceeds of crime. Marques, who is alleged to be the owner and administrator of an anonymous hosting site known as Freedom Hosting, is wanted by US authorities for charges relating to conspiring to distribute and advertise child pornography. The 28-year-old, residing at Mountjoy Square in central Dublin, has been in custody since his arrest in August last year. The charges against Marques relate to images on over a hundred 'anonymous websites' described as extremely violent and depicting the rape and torture of pre-pubescent children. Marques previously failed to obtain legal aid due to an 'unexplained six-figure sum' of money. In the High Court, Mr Justice John Edwards expressed concerns that these monies may be the proceeds of crime and questioned whether they could be used to fund Marques' legal representation. Counsel for Marques, Micheal P O'Higgins SC, stated that the State should conduct its own investigations into the unexplained monies. The case continues tomorrow.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Judge queries whether alleged unexplained monies of "largest facilitator of child porn in the world" are the proceeds of crime. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- July 2008 Hearing Or Sentence
- July 2013 Hearing Or Sentence
- December 16 2013 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2014-03-25 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Outcome: In the letter, Marques intimated his willingness to plead guilty to the alleged offences so that he may serve his sentence in Ireland where his family resides.
Places mentioned
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