SCARY: Do You Remember This Startling Texas Cannibalism Case?
In the digital age we currently live in, people in the state of Texas can find many things by searching the web. People can shop online, connect with friends, and find answer to questions they need.
Unfortunately, there are people in the state of Texas that use their digital footprint for illegal or immoral means. Those individuals are, sadly, hard to sometimes identify. But, back in 2018, one individual tried to do something highly illegal.
This is the case of Alexander Nathan Barter, otherwise known to some as the "Dark Web Cannibal."
The Details Of The Case
According to the United States Attorney's Office, Alexander Nathan Barter went online and posted an ad on an unidentified website in October of 2018. The ad described Barter's desires, in his own words, "to try necrophilia and cannibalism, and see how it feels to take a life. If you’d be willing to let me kill you, are in the US (preferably in the south) and can travel by car, contact me.”
The post caught the eye of an unnamed undercover police officer. Disguising themselves as a father with a 13 year old, the police officer and Barter began talking about a potential meeting. After correspondence over 10 days long, in which Barter told the undercover officer various ways to bring the child to the state of Texas, as well as how to cover up the crime after it was supposed to happen.
A meetup was set for October 19, 2018, in Joaquin, Texas with Barter having various items to commit the crime. However, instead of committing a crime, Barter was arrested and taken into custody. One year later, in December of 2019, Barter pleaded guilty to attempted coercion and enticement of a minor and distribution of child pornography.
Barter's sentence was 40 years in prison, in addition to a lifetime of supervision after his release from jail. It was a case that many in law enforcement, and in Texas, would never forget.