An International Sexual Predator Ring Exposed: How ISU PD Cracked the Case

An ISU True Crime Series Event

An Iowa State student's call for help back in 2020 led Iowa State University Police down a long and often disturbing path that more than four years later resulted in federal indictments for a ring of neo-Nazi sexual predators accused of preying on young women – many of them minors – from around the world. Join us for a discussion about ISU PD's role in the investigation as well as other incidents, including swatting calls, that the police handle on campus.

Officer Kami Feld has been with the ISU Police Department since 2016. She is a second-generation law enforcement officer who holds a bachelor’s degree in criminology. Since starting with ISUPD, she has served as both a patrol officer and a detective. Her motivation and passion centers on helping and supporting survivors of violence as well as confronting and stopping child sexual exploitation. She is an active member of the Story County Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) and the State of Iowa’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. Her reputation and skill set regarding crimes against children investigations have attracted praise and requests for assistance from local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. Feld has received both meritorious and excellent service commendations for her work combatting child exploitation.

Dr. Michael R. Newton serves as the Associate Vice President for Public Safety and Chief of Police at ISU, leading the Department of Public Safety. Since joining ISU in 2017, he has focused on community engagement, threat assessment, and innovative approaches to campus safety. He also serves as the Co-Chair of the ISU Demonstration Safety Team, helping ensure safety and coordination during campus demonstrations and large events. A recognized leader in crisis intervention and community policing, Dr. Newton has received multiple NAMI awards for his work in mental health advocacy. Under his leadership, the ISU Police Department earned the IACLEA Innovations in Community-Oriented Policing Award for its community engagement efforts. He holds an associate degree in criminal justice with a certificate in psychology, a bachelor’s and master’s degree, and a Ph.D. focused on leadership and emotional intelligence in law enforcement.

Dr. Zlatan Krizan is a behavioral scientist who researches how sleep and fatigue impact social behavior and performance, especially within high-pressure settings like public safety and law-enforcement. He has served as a Professor of Psychology at Iowa State University, teaching and conducting research for nearly 20 years. Dr. Krizan earned his Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Iowa (2007) and has authored more than 80 scientific publications, including an edited book on “Sleep, Personality, and Social Behavior”. He is an elected fellow of the Association for Psychological Science, Society for Personality and Social Psychology, and Future Policing Institute. His scholarly work has been supported by the National Science Foundation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Department of Defense, while he currently serves as an Associate Editor for Sleep Research Society’s journal SLEEP Advances and a member of its Communication Committee. Dr. Krizan’s mission is to educate the citizenry, public safety professionals, and legal actors about sleep and fatigue management with the goal of improving law-enforcement practices, investigative and justice outcomes, and well-being of public safety workers. In this vein, he has helped train numerous police officers, firefighters, military officers, and corporate investigators on managing fatigue and improving performance, as well as consulted on criminal cases.

This lecture recording can be found on the Available Recordings page approximately two business days after the event and will remain accessible for three weeks.