Raw Deal: The Untold Story of NYPD's 'Cannibal Cop'

About this episode

The episode explores the controversial case of Gil Valle, a former NYPD officer imprisoned for his online fantasies, raising questions about the nature of thought and crime.

"When, if ever, does a thought cross the line and become a crime?" Raw Deal is the untold story of former New York City police officer Gil Valle, who in 2012 became known throughout the world as "The Cannibal Cop." It is the controversial saga of a man who was imprisoned for "thought crimes", and a look into a world of dark sexuality and violence that most listeners don't know exists, except maybe in their nightmares. After Valle's arrest, media coverage exploded in a frenzy of lurid tabloid headlines and stories about the cop charged with planning to kidnap, torture, rape...and eat...women, including his own wife. But here's the fascinating part: There was no such plan in reality. Valle was simply engaging in his own private fantasies, albeit fantasies that are abhorrent and grotesque, and for that he was thrown into prison. Valle faced life in prison for his charges, and served 21 months for nothing more than having online chats about his fantasies. He was finally exonerated of all charges. Raw Deal raises the question: When does thought become a crime? It will challenge the listener's beliefs about free speech, the right to privacy, and government's role in watching over us…

People in this episode

Host: The Opperman Report

Topics covered

• thought crimes
• free speech
• dark sexuality
• police misconduct
• fantasy vs reality

Keywords

• Cannibal Cop
• Gil Valle
• NYPD
• thought crimes
• free speech
• fantasies
• prison

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NYPD

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