Since I work in software security, let me chime in here:
The 'internet' as we know it is comprised primarily of three parts:
1. The World Wide Web: This is the primary area the vast majority of people operate in, which includes open websites like Google, Yahoo, Walmart, Amazon, etc. It's the area that is freely accessible and indexed.
2. The Deep Web: This is the part of the internet that is only accessible post-login or behind firewalls. It would be things like internal corporate networks, hospital patient information/databases, monetary transactions and details (banks) etc. While it can be accessed, it requires authentication of some sort and likely a VPN tunnel.
3. The Dark Web: This is an area of the internet that is technically accessible, but only via something called onion routing. It is an algorithm designed by the NSA/CIA that allows for anonymous movement through the internet without leaving a trail. None of the sites on the Dark Web are indexed, so you need to know the onion address you are accessing. You also need an onion-routing supported browser to access them; i.e. something like Tor.
I was glad to hear that the illicit porn sites have been driven there, but it seems that 98% of Dark Web sites tend to be political in nature (albeit many have had posters that advocated for violence, at one time or another).
To be honest, the vast majority of porn sites still exist on the free web. Most of the 'porn' that might hide on the dark web would be things like child pornography. Also, for countries with stricter censorship or decency rules, some porn sites might also exist on the dark web to allow for access from those locations.
But truthfully, most of what you will find on the dark web will be either hacker forums or likely some shady sites that sell drugs, illegal weapons, etc. There was a website on the dark web called The Silk Road that existed for many years which was basically the craigslist of the dark web and it sold all manner of things including drugs. Has since been shut down to my knowledge.
The real danger in accessing the dark web is downloading files that contain malware or viruses. There are no checks and balances on the dark web, so you roll the dice anytime you download anything.
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