FBI says Irishman is baron of online child porn

US authorities have asked the High Court to extradite a 28-year-old Irishman alleged to be involved in the distribution of online child pornography, and described by an FBI special agent as “the largest facilitator of child porn on the planet”.

Eric Eoin Marques appeared before Mr Justice Paul Gilligan on foot of an extradition request by the FBI and was yesterday put back in custody until next Thursday.

The court heard that Mr Marques, who has both Irish and US citizenship, was arrested on a Maryland state warrant that records charges of distributing and promoting child pornography on the internet.