Latest news with #Borge
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Yahoo
ISU Police solve international investigation into a neo-Nazi group that sexually exploited children online
AMES, Iowa — The Iowa State University Police Department is crediting a student for helping bring down a child exploitation enterprise that targeted dozens of young people. Iowa State Police started investigating this case after a freshman called their department in November 2020. She said she was being blackmailed by a man she met online when she was a minor. Police Chief Michael Newton said officers reached what they thought was a dead end in the investigation when they asked another officer, Kami Feld, to look into the case. Feld noticed a fake address in her research, which gave her a new avenue for the investigation. She scoped through years of online data and banking records and she found several IP addresses. 'This person knew how to cover their tracks,' said Feld. 'I took webinars, courses, anything cyber security and technology related to further my understanding of these components.' Across the street of the Iowa State University Police Department is their Investigative Services site. Feld spent hundreds of hours using what's called a Block Box to search through devices and online data. 'A lot of images, videos, files of the abuse. A lot of messages, not only to their victims and coercing their victims, but to other members in the group, to their friends, bragging, detailing their efforts and outcomes,' said Feld when asked to describe the content she was looking into. Fleeing car crashes into Des Moines ministry building Monday, police say It became clear to Feld that the ISU student wasn't the only victim, and this was part of a much larger case. Through her investigation, Feld identified her suspect at 41-year-old Clint Borge of Hawaii. Feld requested the help of Iowa's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force to assist with connecting Borge to other victims across the world. Her investigation connected her to a Homeland Security case out of Los Angeles, California. 'They had identified three of the four core members and, at the time, they only had an IP address for the suspect I had identified,' she said. With the help of Feld, investigators connected Borge to the 'CVLT,' pronounced 'cult.' According to a federal indictment, this is an international group that supported neo-Nazism and pedophilia as its core principles. CVLT members groomed and coerced children to self-produce child pornography. They also coerced their victims to engage in dehumanizing acts, detailed in the indictment. CVLT members coerced the children to continue producing more pornography by threatening to release the existing content to the child's friends, family, or the public if the child did not want to produce more, according to the indictment. The members exploited vulnerable children, like mental health challenges or prior sexual abuse, according to the document. Investigators found at least 30 victims, and the youngest was 11-years-old. Feld traveled to Hawaii in August 2021, where she got to work with the Department of Homeland Security and interrogate Borge. Three other men were also arrested, including 23-year-old Collin Walker of New Jersey, 24-year-old Kaleb Merritt of Texas, and 28-year-old Rohan Rane of France. All four are charged with producing child sexual abuse material and face a minimum of 20-years in prison. A four year investigation is now complete, because of the work Officer Feld and a tip from one brave student. 'The power of one person coming forward. You think about that. This one person comes to Iowa State University Police and we were able to track at least 30 victims throughout the country. The bravery of one can mount to so much. We were able to take down an international group. It's amazing, ' said Newton. Iowa News: Hearing for Iowa bill removing gender identity from Civil Rights Act scheduled for Monday ISU Police solve international investigation into a neo-Nazi group that sexually exploited children online 19-year-old student dead in Page County crash Politicians, civil rights groups condemn Patriot Front march Forecast: Work week warming Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Yahoo
ISU student's report leads to arrest of neo-Nazi sex predators, officials say
AMES, Iowa — The Iowa State University Police Department is crediting a student for helping bring down what the Department of Justice dubbed a 'neo-Nazi child exploitation enterprise' that targeted dozens of young people. According to ISU police, the investigation began in November 2020 when a student called the department for help after reportedly being blackmailed by a man she met online in 2018. Snow storm causes crashes on roadways, officials say The student met the man on a messaging app and had sent multiple photos of herself to him in exchange for money in 2018, ISU police said. She didn't hear from him again until she was a first-year student at ISU when he threatened to publicly release the photos and her information if she didn't follow his demands. Police said the man never demanded money and 'was more interested in exerting power and control over the student.' According to police, through the investigation officers discovered that the man targeting the student had also sent threatening messages to other young women. Officers then requested the help of Iowa's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Over several months investigators combed through evidence and information, which eventually led to the discovery that evidence in this case was also connected to a Homeland Security investigation, ISU police said. Investigators with Homeland Security joined the case in 2021. Eventually, investigators identified a suspect — 41-year-old Clint Jordan Lopaka Nahooikaika Borge, of Pahoa, Hawaii. According to ISU police, Borge was one of four members of CVLT, an online group that supports neo-Nazism, nihilism, and pedophilia. In late January the Department of Justice officially charged Borge with engaging in a child exploitation enterprise. The additional three members 23-year-old Colin John Thomas Walker, 28-year-old Rohan Sandeep Rane, and 24-year-old Kaleb Christopher Merritt, have also been charged in the investigation. Iowa News: Childcare providers, advocates meet with lawmakers to discuss childcare crisis ISU student's report leads to arrest of neo-Nazi sex predators, officials say 3-year-old Marshalltown girl dies from injuries suffered in house fire Multiple inches of snow fall in Iowa with more on the way WHO 13 Farm Report: Wednesday, February 12th Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
