Texas Man Conducting Dark Web Cannibalism Pleads Guilty
Alexander Nathan Barter, the accused in a dark web cannibalism plot has pleaded guilty to charges against him. The 23-year-old from Joaquin Texas, appearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Keith Giblin on December 20, pleaded guilty to enticement and coercion of a minor in addition to the distribution of child pornography. The culprit was previously charged with attempted capital murder, conspiracy to commit capital murder, criminal solicitation, and attempted sexual performance of a child.
Barter was busted in an undercover operation, where he was plotting to kill and eat a little girl, stating that, Cannibalism was something he wanted to try. Information from Barter’s October 2018 plea agreement, revealed that the Texas native, posted an ad on a dark web marketplace saying, “I’d like to try necrophilia and cannibalism, and see how it feels to take a life.” Barter added that anyone who was willing to let him or herself get killed by Barter, and is in the United States (preferably in the south) and can travel by car should contact him.
Barter’s cannibalism ad was seen by an undercover agent on the dark web and responded to it, claiming he was a father with a 13-year-old daughter. Barter and the undercover agent exchanged a series of messages between October 9 and October 19, 2018. On October 15, the Texas man, allegedly posted on his dark web page that he wasn’t going to change his mind. “I really want to do this,” he added.
Barter repeatedly told the undercover agent who posed as a father how he was going to rape, kill and eat her 13-year-old daughter. Barter also repeatedly gave the undercover agent instructions on how to travel from Florida to Shelby County, how to convince her 13-year-old daughter to travel with him and how to hide evidence of the crime when he is done, which included him buying new clothes to wear after the murder and a burner cell. Barter also told the undercover agent to ‘cook up’ an alibi by claiming her teen daughter ran away from home with help from her friends.
The undercover agent agreed to all of Barter’s demand told him to meet him on October 19, 2018. The culprit arrived at the ‘meet-up’ spot in Joaquin, Texas carrying a trash bag, a tablet, a knife, and a cell phone. Barter’s cannibalism plot came to an end after he was arrested, whiles waiting for the undercover agent to show up. Barter also confessed to using many social media applications, digital devices and the dark web to communicate and send as well as receive child pornography or CP.
Investigators revealed that Barter on October 14, 2018, offered to send photos and videos of a young female being sexually exploited to another pedophile. Additional reports state that Barter sent more than a dozen videos and photos along with descriptions.
U.S. Attorney Joseph D. Brown, speaking after the case stated that, “These are the cases that remind us that this world is full of evil.” He added that this cannibalism case reminds us that, we are fortunate that we have law enforcement agencies, working to stop such barbaric things.
Shelby County District Attorney Stephen Shires, also stated that this case should serve as a continuous reminder that parents should be vigilant and look out for what their children are doing on the internet.
Barter accepted a plea deal with the government, which includes a sentence of 240 months imprisonment on each charge. Both parties however reserved the right to the judge to decide whether the sentences should run concurrent or consecutive. The culprit is now looking at a minimum term of 20 years in federal prison and a 40 years maximum sentence. A sentencing date for Barter has not yet been set.
This arrest is as a result of an undercover sting by Project Safe Childhood and is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations Cocoa Beach, Florida, Child Exploitation Task Force, Texas Department of Public Safety, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations in Lufkin, Beaumont, and Texas, Customs and Border Protection Air Unit and Brevard County Sheriff’s Office.
