Silk Road creator Ross Ulbricht faces a lifetime behind bars after a Manhattan federal jury found him guilty in connection with his management of one of the most sophisticated criminal marketplaces on the Internet.

I have a 14-year old son. He lives in a cave. Some people used to call them bedrooms. There is a sign on the door that says: “Adults stay out or die!” People who have survived a visit to the cave have told of a land filled with the lost socks of washing machines all over the world; solidified food that now doubles as a stool, and more electronic gadgets than one would find in Scotty’s garden shed.

I often wonder what he’s getting up to?

I wonder if the parents of Ross Ulbricht often thought the same?

The 30-year old Texan – who in 2013 was identified as Dread Pirate Roberts: the creator, and administrator, of Silk Road – has been convicted on seven counts of naughtiness: including drug trafficking, money laundering and a whole host of other cyber crimes. He faces a lifetime behind bars when sentencing is handed out in New York City on 15 May 2015.

Silk Road is the name given to the dark side of the Internet. The place that exists on a site you don’t want to know about (unless your name begins with Don or Tsar) known as the Tor Network. Think dark side of the force and you’ll get the gist.

The court heard how criminals used the network to buy and sell drugs, and transact on a wide range of illegal practices, including hiring hitmen. I’m not talking about the types of hitmen that Vince McMahon hires for his WrestleMania’s, I’m talking about the types that like to put a cap in your ass. The prosecutors even alleged Ulbricht was trying to hire hitmen to assassinate those who were trying to bring him down.