'World's biggest child porn dealer' who says 100 years in U.S. jail is 'too harsh' may walk free

Mr Marques is accused of being the 'largest facilitator of child porn on the planet' by the FBI

An Irishman wanted in the U.S. for allegedly being the world's biggest child porn dealer could go free, it emerged today.

Irish authorities have revealed Eric Eoin Marques will not be prosecuted under their jurisdiction and may challenge an attempt by the U.S. to get him extradited.

Last month the 28-year-old, who the FBI has accused of being the 'largest facilitator of child porn on the planet', indicated he would plead guilty to a series of charges under Irish law.

But Ireland's director of public prosecutions Claire Loftus has now said she will not bring proceedings against him in Ireland - a decision she has not explained.

It leaves the U.S. facing an uphill battle to extradite Marques because of its stiffer sentencing regime.

In Ireland, Marques, who has no criminal record, faced a maximum 14-year jail term that would have been reduced significantly by an early guilty plea.

However, in America the FBI told a court last month that he faced a total at least 100 years - four life terms in Ireland - behind bars if found guilty of the charges he is accused of.

Unlike Ireland, each of the U.S. charges carries a sentence of between 20 and 30 years and are likely to run consecutively, rather than concurrently.

Lawyers for Marques are expected to argue that U.S. sentences for similar charges are too harsh in comparison with Ireland's, and that Ireland should refuse to extradite him.  (more...)

'World's biggest child porn dealer' who says 100 years in U.S. jail is 'too harsh' may walk free