Ex-NYPD Officer Dubbed 'Cannibal Cop' Sentenced To Time Served
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A former New York City police officer acquitted of conspiring to kidnap, kill and eat women has been sentenced to time served for his conviction on a minor charge.
Gilberto Valle, who served 21 months in prison, was sentenced Wednesday for unlawfully accessing a federal database. He also received one year of probation. He must continue to seek mental health treatment and cannot contact women involved in the case.
Prosecutors say they are appealing Judge Paul Gardephe's decision to override a jury verdict initially convicting Valle.
Ex-NYPD Officer Dubbed 'Cannibal Cop' Sentenced To Time Served
Valle was dubbed the "Cannibal Cop" by tabloids after his 2012 arrest. Jurors heard evidence that he conversed online with strangers about killing and cooking his wife and others in a cannibalism plot.
"It was my fault for doing all of this," Valle told reporters, including CBS2's Andrea Grymes. "My actions were so stupid."
"That's not who I really am," he said, WCBS 880's Irene Cornell reported. "People who know me the best know that. I had a lot of support from people who knew me my whole life who never believed these allegations."
In his 118-page opinion, Gardephe wrote, "The evidentiary record is such that it is more likely than not the case that all of Valle's Internet communications about kidnapping are fantasy role-play."
Valle apologized in court to everyone who was involved in the case, including his family and the Police Department, telling the judge, "I am incapable of violence," and, "I fully realize none of this means anything unless I rebuild my life."
He also apologized to his 3-year-old daughter and said he plans to petition for visitation rights as soon as possible.
Valle said he now plans to attend law school.
"I just want to be a productive citizen and help people again somehow," he said.
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