A formal request has been issued by the US Attorney-General for the extradition of an Irish man alleged to be the largest facilitator of child pornography on the planet.

Eric Eoin Marques of Mountjoy Square in Dublin is accused of distributing and advertising illicit material online.

The request, dated August 13th, was handed to High Court President Nicholas Kearns this morning, along with a diplomatic note and a certificate issued by the Justice Minister in response to the request. Up until now, Marques was being held on a provisional warrant issued by a federal court in Maryland.

If a formal request for his extradition had not been made within 18 days of his first court appearance on August 1 he would have been entitled to his release.

The 28-year-old was dressed in jeans and a grey sports top and sat in the body of the court flanked by prison officers.

President Kearns has further remanded him in custody until September 11th when Mr Justice John Edwards, the judge who normally deals with extradition matters, is sitting.

Marques's barrister Remy Farrell SC said he intends to make a fresh bail application at that appearance. He said the law is silent on what process takes place when a person moves from provisional detention to normal detention.

His client was refused bail by the High Court earlier this month on grounds that he is a flight risk and somebody who might interfere with evidence.

An FBI agent raised objections to Eric Marques's release on that occasion and Patrick McGrath SC, for the State, informed the court that he may be called to give evidence again.