The sentence handed down to an Irishman in the US over child abuse images is a significant one that reflects the harm done to children, according to the head of the Garda National Protective Services Bureau.
Eric Eoin Marques, 36, from Dublin, who has been described as the world's largest facilitator of child abuse images, was sentenced to 27 years in prison by a US court yesterday
He had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to advertise child abuse images by operating an anonymous web hosting service.
Sentencing Judge Theodore Chuang described the crime as truly despicable and said Marques was the equivalent of a kingpin in a drugs case.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Detective Chief Superintendent Declan Daly said gardaí had a significant involvement in the initial stages of the investigation and around the search, arrest and recovery of evidence which "set the foundation for yesterdays conviction."
He said anyone involved in child exploitation online leaves a footprint that can be identified and gardaí are "dogged in their determination" to find those in Ireland who are involved in these activities.
Det Chief Supt Daly added that there is very strong police cooperation globally for child abuse offences.
Gardaí work closely with the FBI, Homeland Security, Europol and Interpol to identify victims and to seek out those who target children, he said.
He added that the investigation into the activities was considerable and shows the level of international police investigation.
These investigations should also serve as a deterrent to anyone who is engaged in the exploitation of children online, he said, and show that external borders will not protect them from prosecution.
Det Chief Supt Daly said a significant number of children have been identified by the FBI in relation to Marques's activities, and they have been contacted and are receiving the necessary services.
No children in Ireland were identified.
The court was told that Marques plans to return to Ireland when he is released from prison, and Judge Chuang ordered that he would have to notify gardaí of his intention to travel to Ireland prior his departure from the US.
Det Chief Supt Daly said Marques will be managed as a high-risk sex offender when he returns to the Irish jurisdiction.
'There is a common misconception that child abuse imagery is a victimless crime and that the people who are involved do not physically and actively abuse a child, and that's incorrect," he said.
"I think this sentence highlights that child abuse imagery is based on supply and demand. In response to demand a child somewhere in the world is sexually abused, and therefore all involved are culpable."
