Gilberto Valle, the so-called ‘Cannibal Cop,’ was sentenced to time served and one year’s supervised release on Wednesday, after a New York judge overturned his conviction for kidnapping conspiracy in July.

Gilberto Valle Sentenced To 1-Year Supervised Release

Valle, a former New York City cop, was originally found guilty of conspiracy to kidnap women, whom he wrote about taking and eating in disturbing online chat room – Dark Fetish Network. That conviction was overturned in July by US District Court Judge Paul Gardephe. Judge Gardephe did find Valle was only guilty of illegally using a federal law enforcement database. Valle used the database to gather information on his potential victims; a fact the prosecution used to validate their claim that Valle was not just fantasizing about committing violent acts, but was actively planning to.

Since his original conviction, Valle has spent 21 months in jail, and Judge Gardephe ruled those months as time served for the charge of unlawfully using the database and sentenced Valle to one year of supervised release, meaning Valle is free to be released on a bail of $100,000. The prosecution has announced plans to appeal the decision.

Now a judge has ruled that Valle’s “Abducting and Cooking Kimberly – A Blueprint” document and his other postings online were disturbing, but not enough to convict. “Once the lies and the fantastical elements are stripped away, what is left are deeply disturbing misogynistic chats and emails written by an individual obsessed with imagining women he knows suffering horrific sex-related pain, terror and degradation,” said Judge Gardephe.

Upon his release, Valle must submit to a mental health evaluation, turn in his passport and any weapons in his possession and wear a GPS device. Valle was also ordered to stay away from his alleged potential targets, which includes his ex-wife, Kathleen Mangan-Valle, and is prohibited from accessing sexual fetish websites.

“[Valle] is anxious to get home to his family, the people who supported him through this whole ordeal. I am sure he is very relieved, very tired. Prison has been hard… He has to pick up the pieces of his life,” said Julia Gatto, Valle’s lawyer.

Valle was released and returned home with his mother, Elizabeth Valle, who told reporters that Valle would be seeking legal action to see his three-year-old daughter, Josephine.

“Today’s hopefully the first step of getting my life back together. And I intend to get my life back together. I want to move on from this,” Valle told reporters after his sentencing.

Article by Olivia Truffaut-Wong

Olivia Truffaut-Wong was born and raised in Berkeley, California, where she developed her love of all things entertainment. After moving to New York City to earn her degree in Film Studies, she stayed on the East Coast to follow her passion and become an entertainment writer. She lives on a diet of television, movies and food.