Texas man arrested for allegedly plotting to kill and eat a child

A Texas man was arrested for allegedly posting on the Internet for sexually assaulting, killing and eating a child before his arrival with a knife and plastic garbage bags at a rendezvous point organized by an undercover cop, according to Florida officials.

Alexander Barter, 21, of Joaquin, Texas, was arrested on October 19 after an undercover officer from the Brevard County Sheriff's Office saw an online message in which Barter allegedly claimed he was looking for someone "who would allow him to commit necrophilia and cannibalism". "according to a press release shared Tuesday.

The officer, who is a member of the US Homeland Security Investigation Task Force on Immigration and Customs, pretended to be an interested person and started exchanging information with Barter.

After exchanging messages with Barter for several days, the agent stated that he had a child that he could entrust to Barter. Barter would have asked him if he could kill the child, describing the horrible acts he wanted to accomplish, the statement said.

Barter would then have developed a plan in which he would meet the person and take the child to a rural area. There, the child would be "sexually assaulted, killed and then cannibalized," according to the press release.

The Brevard County officer went to Texas for the supposed meeting with Barter and the imaginary child. When Barter went to the meeting, he was arrested.

Police found a knife and plastic bags to transport the remains of the child in Barter's possession, according to the press release.

Barter was charged with criminal solicitation, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder and criminal attempt to sexually execute a child.

Kalhan Rosenblatt

Kalhan Rosenblatt is a reporter for NBC News, based in New York.