Puppeteer indicted with receiving child porn | News

LARGO, Fla. (AP) - Federal prosecutors say a professional puppeteer from southwest Florida who was arrested after an online chat surfaced about eating a child will not face charges of conspiring to kidnap a child.

A spokesman for federal prosecutors said Friday that Ronald Brown was instead indicted by a federal grand jury on a count of possessing and a count of receiving child pornography.

The Tampa Bay Times reports that federal agents sought to charge Brown with pornography offenses and conspiring to kidnap a child.

Brown received international attention in July after authorities allege he had an online discussion with another man about kidnapping, cooking and eating a child for Easter.

Brown's lawyer said it was absurd to prosecute him over the instant messages which he compared to science fiction writings.