GREENBELT, Md. (AP) — A man previously described by U.S. authorities as the world's most prolific purveyor of child pornography has been sentenced to 27 years in federal prison.
Eric Eoin Marques was arrested in Ireland in 2013.
The 36-year-old 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.
According to the Associated Press, Marques told U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang before his sentencing that he wanted "a second chance" and apologized to the victims.
Originally, prosecutors recommended Marques be sentenced to 15 to 21 years in prison, but Judge Chuang rejected it, calling it "too flawed," the AP reported.
A revised plea agreement recommended a prison sentence between 21 and 27 years, but the judge wasn't bound by those terms.
According to the AP, Judge Chuang also ordered Marques to pay restitution of $87,000 to victims.
Marques pleaded guilty last year to operating a web hosting service called "Freedom Hosting" on the darknet between 2008 and 2013.
