A man described by US authorities as the world's most prolific purveyor of child pornography at the time of his arrest in Ireland has been sentenced to 27 years jail.
Eric Eoin Marques, 36, created and operated computer servers on the dark web that enabled users to anonymously access millions of illicit images and videos, many depicting the rape and torture of infants and toddlers.
Law enforcement had never seen many of those images before finding them on Marques' servers, according to prosecutors.
US District Judge Theodore Chuang told Marques his crimes were the equivalent of those of a drug kingpin.
"This crime was truly despicable," Chuang said on Wednesday.
Before sentencing, Marques apologised to the victims and asked for mercy.
"I have destroyed my reputation and my family's reputation. Please give me a second chance," he told Chuang.
The judge agreed to recommend the federal Bureau of Prisons give Marques credit for eight years he has served in custody in Ireland and the US since his 2013 arrest.
Chuang also ordered him to pay restitution of $US87,000 to victims of the child pornography that he helped distribute.
Justice Department prosecutor Ralph Paradiso said Marques created an online community for sexual predators to anonymously abuse and exploit children and share the horrific images that they created.
"They all got together and they sexually exploited children," he said. "They revelled in that sexual exploitation."
Defence lawyers requested a 21-year sentence for Marques, a dual citizen of the U.S. and Ireland. Marques can return to Ireland after he completes his prison sentence.
Marques pleaded guilty in February 2020 to creating and operating a web hosting service called "Freedom Hosting" on the dark net between 2008 and 2013.
Investigators found what appeared to be more than 8.5 million images and videos of child pornography on the Freedom Hosting server.
Marques was living in Ireland at the time of the offences. He was extradited to Maryland in March 2019. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child pornography.
In an April court filing, a prosecutor said a government witness was prepared to testify that investigators had identified Marques as the largest purveyor of child pornography in the world and that he had made about $US3.6 million from his servers.
Marques' lawyers say he made money from his legitimate web-hosting services, not Freedom Hosting.
Australian Associated Press
