Paul Mahoney has admitted to being responsible for a "highly sophisticated fraud" that earned him around £300 000. The "social recluse" has plead guilty to conspiracy to defraud, acquiring criminal property, and concealing criminal property, according to the Derry Journal.
Pirated Content
The offences were committed from as early as April 2008 up to around April 2013. The websites he was running allowed anyone to view movies and series that were recently or not yet released. The websites are said to have gained a total of around 12 million views.
Detective Inspector Conor McStravick, spoke about the effect that piracy has on the Irish economy: "The film industry is an important and growing employment sector in Northern Ireland. Illegal activity which reduces revenue streams to the industry has the potential to adversely affect people's jobs and the local economy."
Mahoney will spend two years in jail and another two years on license.