Gilberto Valle, a former New York City police officer, has
been found guilty in a plot to kidnap, rape, torture, kill, cook and eat women.
The cannibalistic case caught the nation’s eyes not just because of its strange
and disturbing themes, but also because it hinged on the distinction between
virtual fantasy and actual crime.
No evidence was found to suggest that any of the women Mr.
Valle had fantasized and talked about online had actually been harmed, and his
lawyer, Julia
L. Gatto, claims that he was unfairly found guilty for having “very ugly
thoughts.”
“This was thought prosecution,” she said. “These are
thoughts, very ugly thoughts, but we don’t prosecute people for their thoughts.
And we’ll continue to appeal to fight for Mr. Valle.”
But prosecutors argued and availed, saying that Mr. Valle
had crossed the line when he began conducting surveillance of his potential
victims. Now he faces life in prison for one count of kidnapping conspiracy.
Mr. Valle certainly isn’t the only person on the Internet
with a username like “Girlmeat Hunter,” and the case brought to light some of
the dark fetishes that lurk on websites and message boards. As Ms. Gatto
stated, people are free to their own thoughts, but the fear is that some of
those thoughts will eventually become reality. Mr. Valle claimed he was simply
roleplaying fantasies with likeminded individuals, but as his case proves, it’s
always possible for things to go beyond simple role play.
The jury for Mr. Valle’s case unanimously agreed that his
“detailed and specific plans to abduct women for the purpose of committing
grotesque crimes were very real,” according to U.S. attorney Preet Bharara.
“The Internet is a forum for the free exchange of ideas,” he
said, “but it does not confer immunity for plotting crimes and taking steps to
carry out those crimes.”
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