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July 2, 2014

"Cannibal Cop" Freed after Conviction Overturned 
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A New York City police officer imprisoned for plotting to kidnap and
cannibalize women has had his conviction overturned. Gilberto Valle
became known as the "cannibal cop" after it emerged he had openly
fantasized about eating women in online posts and had searched for
recipes for cooking human flesh and for making homemade chloroform to
subdue victims. But on Tuesday, a district judge ruled Valle's posts
amounted to "fantasy role play," not an actual crime. Valle made a brief
statement outside the courtroom.

Gilberto Valle: "I'd like to make a very, very brief statement. I want
to take this opportunity to apologize to everyone who has been hurt,
shocked and offended by my infantile actions."

The judge in the case upheld a lesser charge of improperly accessing a
police database to find potential victims, but it carries a term shorter
than the 18 months Valle spent behind bars.

 

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