The coronavirus outbreak has slowed down many aspects of everyday life, but this change in circumstance simply means new opportunities for some. Unfortunately, as Americans continue to spend more time at home, domestic and sexual crimes are on the rise, and the coronavirus adds a lot of hardship to those already experiencing domestic abuse, recently stated one former prosecutor currently serving as a state legislator for his home state.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) remains steadfast and vigilant in protecting our loved ones and children from domestic abuse and child predators.
For example, Eric Eoin Marques, a 33-year-old holding dual national citizenship of the United States and Ireland and resident of Dublin, Ireland, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to advertise child pornography in United States District Court for the District of Maryland announced the Department of Justice earlier this year. According to the contents of the plea agreement, Eric Marques admitted to operating an anonymous web hosting service (AHS) on the “dark web” as part of his conspiracy to advertise child pornography between July 2008 and July 2013. Marques hosting service contained over 8.5 million images of child exploitation.
Authorities in Ireland extradited Eric Marques to the United states in March 2019, and he was later indicted on four counts, the court records for which alleged that Marques “conspired to, and did advertise and distribute child pornography between July 24, 2008 and July 29, 2013, by operating the AHS.” Marques’ sentencing is scheduled for next month on May 11.
According to court records, Eric Marques managed and maintained a free anonymous hosting service located on the “dark web,” a part of the Internet accessed only with special software that enables users and domain operators to remain untraceable and anonymous. The hosting service hosted websites that enabled its users to observe and exchange images of child sexual abuse, including bestiality, violent sexual abuse, and the abuse of prepubescent minors. The criminal investigation uncovered that Marque’s hosting service included over 8.5 million images and videos of child exploitation material, over 1.97 million of which involved unidentified victims. In July 2013, website hosted on Marque’s hosting service cited almost 1.4 million files uploaded and available to visitors of their hidden service.
In 2012 and 2013, special agents at the FBI downloaded over one million files from that website using computers located in Maryland. As part of the investigation, reviews of those files uncovered that nearly all them depicted children who are engaging in sexually explicit conduct with adults or other children, posed nude or in such a manner as to expose their genitals, or otherwise depict child erotica. A significant majority of the downloaded images depict prepubescent minor children who engaged in sexually explicit conduct or are fully or partially nude.
“The defendant’s anonymous web service hosted dozens of insidious criminal communities dedicated to the sexual exploitation of children and spread millions of images of that abuse,” announced Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “His guilty plea is proof of the department’s fierce commitment to rooting out those who hide behind anonymous networks to commit serious child exploitation offenses.”
“Child pornography is created by documenting the sexual abuse of children,” stated United States Attorney Robert K. Hur of the District of Maryland. “This is an egregious case where one individual facilitated the abuse of more than a million new child victims and attempted to keep the abuse hidden on the dark web. We must do everything we can to bring individuals like Marques to justice in order to keep our children safe.”
“Today’s guilty plea validates the FBI’s unwavering commitment to stop those who sexually exploit innocent children,” stated Assistant Director Calvin Shivers of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “The FBI and its international law enforcement partners will remain steadfast in their pursuit of justice for the world’s most vulnerable victims harmed at the ruthless hands of others.”
This is one of many results of the DOJ’s commitment to its initiative to combat increasing outbreak of the sexual exploitation and abuse of children. Launched in spring 2006, the DOJ’s Project Safe Childhood is a collaborative effort between federal, state and local law enforcement and authorities to effectively identify, stop and prosecute persons and entities that engage in child exploitation, in addition to locating and rendering help to victims of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Even in this nationwide effort against the coronavirus outbreak, if you, friends, kids, or a family member see anything that could be domestic abuse, child sexual exploitation or abuse, or the possession, production or attempted possession or production of child pornography, please visit the website of the Department of Justice or FBI to report the activity and obtain more information.
