Gilberto Valle, 28, of Queens, N.Y., was charged in a plot to kidnap and cook his girlfriend—and maybe as well as 100 other women. The FBI trapped Valle after a three-month investigation, in which they uncovered emails and instant messages between Valle and other co-conspirators. He is not known to have participated in any of the acts he talked about.

1. Massive Surveillance DatabaseThis is the way cops use the NYPD surveillance technology? Valle allegedly “intentionally and knowingly accessed” a computer without authorization—and then “exceeded the authorization” to create a database of more than 100 women, complete with pictures and the full names of the victims and in some cases, their addresses. The FBI has interviewed 10 of these women and notified them about Valle’s intentions.

2. He Wasn’t AloneValle wasn’t a lone wolf: in reviewing Valle’s electronic communication, police said they found that Valle was emailing and instant-messaging with a co-conspirator about plans to kidnap, rape, torture, kill, cook, and eat the body parts of a number of women.

3. Strangers Are ‘Better’ Than FriendsValle reportedly told the co-conspirator that he knew “all” of the intended victims and could walk in unannounced and kidnap them. The co-conspirator then allegedly suggested that it would be “better to grab a stranger,” since the “first thing” police will do is “check out a friend.”

4. Victim #1 Looked ‘Tasty’On the same day, Valle allegedly told the co-conspirator that the woman identified in court documents as “victim #1” “is asleep right now, not having the slightest clue of what we have planned. Her days are numbered … she does look tasty, doesn’t she?” His co-conspirator reportedly answered “you do know if we don’t waste any of her there is nearly 75 pounds of food there.” Victim #1 told police that Valle had contacted her and they met for lunch on or around July 22, 2012, and according to the criminal complaint, Valle traveled to Maryland to meet her.

5. ‘How Big Is Your Oven?’Valle and his co-conspirator also allegedly discussed plans on how best to cook his victim, with the co-conspirator asking Valle “how big is your oven” and Valle answering, “big enough to fit one of these girls if I folded their legs.” According to the complaint, later in the conversation, on July 9, 2012, the co-conspirator asks Valle “what is your favorite type of meat,” which Valle answered, “I was thinking of cooking her body onto some kind of apparatus … cook her over a low heat, keep her alive as long as possible.”

6. Delivering Victims for a FeeValle also allegedly discussed plans to kidnap another woman, identified as victim #2, telling another co-conspirator that he would take the victims and deliver them, for full price. On Feb. 28, 2012, Valle reportedly told the intended victim would “definitely make the news,” and asked $5,000 to deliver her to his counterpart. But the co-conspirator reportedly tried to negotiate down to $4,000, with Valle telling him “I am putting my neck out on the line here. If something goes wrong, I am in deep shit.” Victim #2 said she did not know Valle very well, and she had never invited him to her house.

7. He Reportedly Liked KidnappingThe kidnapping was apparently a career change for Valle, as he said he was “aspiring to be a professional kidnapper.” According to the complaint, he said it would be “hard to restrain” himself from killing the victim, with his co-conspirator saying “just make sure she doesn’t die before I get her.” Valle assured his client that the woman would still be alive, and said, “I think I would rather not get involved in the rape. She is all yours and I don’t want to be tempted the next time I abduct a girl.” Valle allegedly admitted he would “really get off knocking her out, tying up her hands and bare feet, and gagging her.”