A university student in Iowa was credited with helping officials expose an online neo-Nazi child pornography ring.
A police officer at Iowa State University, Kami Feld, said that she got a tip from the unnamed student in 2020 that kickstarted a four-year investigation. The operation later revealed a shocking and terrifying online cult that targeted young children.
A Neo-Nazi Child Pornography Ring
The law enforcement personnel added that she had been in awe of the students from the start. Although they were being blackmailed, they still had the strength and bravery to tell officials that the situation was not okay.
The Iowa State University student reportedly told police that someone was blackmailing her after she met the man on a social media app when she was underage. Feld said that the young student shared certain details with officials, which helped them unravel a much bigger secret.
The tip from the student helped officials arrest four men across the world who were identified as 23-year-old Colin Walker of New Jersey, 24-year-old Kaleb Merritt of Texas, 28-year-old Rohan Rane of France, and 41-year-old Clint Borge of Hawaii, according to WOWT.
It was revealed in an unsealed federal indictment that the four men who were arrested were part of an online group that followed neo-Nazism and pedophilia as its core principles. Law enforcement officials said that the group called itself "The Cvlt."
Targeting Young Children Worldwide
Officials believe that the group's members work on enticing and coercing children to produce sadistic child pornography. The horrifying details of the organization were revealed in the indictment, which noted that the young victims were groomed and degraded to perform dehumanizing acts before being blackmailed.
Feld said that the group's actions were gross and horrific, adding that learning about the crimes only made her more motivated to try and uncover everything about the online neo-Nazi child pornography ring, KXII reported.
The police officer also noted that it became clear to officials early on in the investigation that the group had many victims. Feld was able to break the case wide open when she discovered a fake address while reviewing evidence obtained through subpoenas.
Chief Michael Newton from the Iowa State University Police Department added that the group had at least 30 victims across the world, with some aged as young as 11 years old. Officials revealed that Merritt, Rane, and Walker were leaders of the cult-like group and were responsible for hosting and running its online servers, as per KCCI.
