An Irishman, 28‑year‑old Eric Eoin Marques, is wanted in the United States for conspiring to distribute and advertise child pornography and for advertising and distributing child pornography. He is alleged to have owned and administered the anonymous hosting site Freedom Hosting, which hosted over a hundred anonymous websites containing extremely violent and graphic images of pre‑pubescent children, some infants, and had thousands of members posting millions of images. Marques was arrested in August and has remained in custody after bail was refused on flight‑risk and evidence‑interference grounds. The High Court was informed that the Director of Public Prosecutions will not bring proceedings against him in Ireland. Marques' counsel, Remy Farrell, stated that Marques would plead guilty if prosecuted in Ireland, but the DPP has decided not to proceed. The extradition case will be adjourned and listed for mention in January, with Marques remanded in custody to appear on 21 January.
A 36‑year‑old Wexford man, Michael Furlong, is on trial for the murder of his 37‑year‑old friend Patrick Connors, who died between 28 and 29 April 2011 at the Carraig Túr apartments in Enniscorthy. Furlong pleaded not guilty. In his opening statement, the prosecutor, Mr John O'Kelly SC, described how police received two calls on the morning of 29 April: first from a neighbour who said a man was dead, then from Furlong himself. Police entered the apartments, found Connors' body on the second flight of stairs, and noted blood on walls and floor. Furlong admitted that Connors had fallen after a night of drinking, but claimed he had given him clothing to soak up blood and covered him with a fleece. He said he woke the next morning to find Connors on the stairs, naked from the waist up.
Lawyers for Eric Eoin Marques, a 28‑year‑old Irishman wanted in the United States for conspiring to distribute and advertise child pornography, are challenging his extradition in the Irish High Court. Marques, who lives in Mountjoy Square, Dublin, faces four U.S. charges that could carry a cumulative sentence of up to 100 years. He claims he wants his case heard in Ireland and has submitted a Section 15 application to the Director of Public Prosecutions. The court has previously denied bail, citing Marques' alleged flight risk, possession of a false U.S. passport, and attempts to destroy evidence. The case will be heard again before Mr Justice John Edwards in three weeks. The FBI alleges Marques owned and administered the anonymous site Freedom Hosting, which hosted extremely violent child‑pornographic images and had a U.S. bank account and a Las Vegas mailing address. The court has found the evidence against Marques strong and the charges serious.
In a High Court hearing on 13 September 2013, Mr Justice John Edwards refused bail to Eric Eoin Marques, a 28‑year‑old Irishman, for a second time. Marques is wanted in the United States on charges of conspiring to distribute and advertise child pornography and of advertising and distributing child pornography. The FBI alleges he facilitated and hosted anonymous websites containing extremely violent, graphic images of pre‑pubescent children, including infants, and that he had administrator access to one site. Evidence presented included a computer examination by Gardaí showing Marques' involvement, his use of a fraudulent U.S. passport to seek foreign hosting services, and financial records indicating $1.5 million passing through a single bank account. The court noted Marques' lack of prior convictions, his family ties in Ireland, and the freezing of his U.S. bank accounts, but concluded he posed a flight risk and a danger of evidence tampering.
In a High Court hearing on 13 September 2013, Mr Justice John Edwards refused bail to Eric Eoin Marques, a 28‑year‑old Irishman wanted in the United States on charges of conspiring to distribute and advertise child pornography. The judge cited concerns that Marques could abscond or tamper with evidence, and noted that the case against him was "strong" with potential sentences totalling 100 years. Marques had been previously denied bail by Mr Justice Paul Gilligan and had no prior convictions, but the court considered him a flight risk due to substantial financial resources, frozen U.S. bank accounts, and possession of a false U.S. passport. The judge remanded Marques in custody to appear again on 22 October, stating that a hearing before Christmas was unlikely. The case involves alleged ownership of the Freedom Hosting site, described by the FBI as a large transnational child‑pornography operation.