'Cannibal Cop' Lawyer Slams Charges as Thought Policing

[The Straight Story]

'Cannibal Cop' Lawyer Slams Charges as Thought Policing


MANHATTAN (CN) - The case of a so-called "cannibal cop" is about the "freedom to write even the darkest thoughts of the human imagination," a defense attorney told federal jurors Monday.

Gilberto Valle, the 28-year-old New York City Police Department officer, acknowledges that he repeatedly logged onto the website Darkfetishnet.com to chat with other men about kidnapping, raping, torturing and eating women.

The parties disagree about whether the contents of his chats are evidence of a criminal conspiracy or constitutionally protected speech.

His lawyer, Julia Gatto, told the jury that more than 38,000 other men and women are Darkfetishnet members, and they often discuss fantasies on the website that would be illegal to try in real life.

http://www.courthousenews.com/2013/02/25/55164.htm

[msanthrope]

1. This case will turn on a single fact, which if proven to the jury, will result in a conviction:

Valle is also accused of breaking into a national crime database to profile his victims.

Prove that, and you go beyond fantasy and free speech.

[el_bryanto]

2. That does seem like the deal breaker

It's an interesting grey area.

Bryant

[msanthrope]

3. Well, that one fact, if proven, is no gray area. The prosecution proves that he acted against real

women...then he's done.

[el_bryanto]

4. I'm sorry - I was inarticulate

Once you actually do it it's clearly black and white. Even abusing his access to the data bases should cost him his job.

I was thinking more about how many sexual fantasies people might have that would be immoral or illegal - unless performed with consenting adults of course.

Bryant

[dixiegrrrrl]

5. Then there is the agreement to kidnap a woman.

Which apparently was stalled due to no payment made.

If the website was talking about underage kids,
would the defense argument hold water then?

[Blue_Tires]

6. That and the wife could give some detailed insights to his "erratic" behavior

Assuming she decides to testify...

[msanthrope]

8. Oh, she's up for it, apparently. nt

[Downtown Hound]

7. His wife bascially claimed that he began asking her questions such as

Where she liked to go jogging, what kind of lighting there was around there, how many people did she normally see while jogging, ect. Now combine that with the misuse of law enforcement computer databases, and I'd say this goes just a little beyond simple fantasy.