Man solicited murder, necrophilia, cannibalism of minor
By a Biometrica staffer
Alexander Nathan Barter, a resident of Joaquin, Texas, was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison on Thursday for child exploitation violations after he solicited the murder, necrophilia, and cannibalism of a minor on the dark web. Undercover special agents from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were able to intercept the man and arrest him before he could carry out the heinous plot, the ICE said in a statement.
Barter was also ordered to submit to a lifetime of supervised release for attempted coercion and enticement of a minor and distribution of child pornography by District Judge Michael Truncale. He pleaded guilty to the charges. As part of his plea agreement, he agreed to be sentenced to imprisonment of 20 years on each count, with each party reserving the right to request that the terms be sentenced concurrently or consecutively.
In October 2018, Barter posted an ad on a dark web site stating: “I’d like 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 U.S. (preferably in the south) and can travel by car, contact me.” An undercover special agent from ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) saw the ad and responded, using the persona of a father with a 13-year-old daughter.
Between October 9 and 19 of that year, Barter and the undercover special agent exchanged a series of messages that included the latter’s repeated interest in killing, raping and eating the 13-year-old child. He provided the undercover with instructions on traveling from Florida to Shelby County, Texas, what to tell the child to get her to agree to travel, and how to conceal evidence of their crime. On October 19, Barter arrived at the designated site with a knife, trash bag, cellular phone and a tablet.
“As this chilling case demonstrates, online talk is not always just talk. The constant vigilance of our law enforcement partners has prevented an evildoer from finding a likeminded accomplice and bringing his grisly plan to fruition. This case is a sobering reminder of how the brave men and women of law enforcement face down the worst of the worst in the scariest of scenarios.”
Attorney Stephen J. Cox
The case is being investigated by HSI Beaumont; HSI Cocoa Beach; Florida Child Exploitation Task Force; Brevard County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office; Nacogdoches (Texas) Police Department; Texas Department of Public Safety; Customs and Border Protection Air Units; and Shelby County (Texas) Sheriff’s Office.