Essential Estrogen

A 10-month investigation has ended with the arrest of a self-proclaimed radical male feminist and member of the Iowa blogging community for allegedly assaulting an 18-year-old woman in her dorm room.

Kyle Payne, 22, of Ida Grove, was arrested Feb. 13 and charged with second-degree burglary, invasion of privacy and simple assault. The charges stem from a January 2007 incident on the campus of Buena Vista University. Payne was employed at that time as a dormitory resident adviser at the university and, while serving in that capacity, according to police reports, he allegedly physically assaulted an intoxicated and unconscious female student. He allegedly videotaped the assault and, following a tip to campus security, the files were found on his confiscated computer.

Search warrants for Payne's RA quarters and vehicle were issued by the Storm Lake Police in April, and a computer and camera were seized. Police reports indicate that files implicating Payne in the assault were found on the hard drive. The electronics were submitted to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation forensic crime laboratory for further analysis.

The following month, law enforcement issued a search warrant for Payne's Ida Grove residence. Additional items, including another computer, were taken as a result of the warrant and sent to the state crime lab.

Mark Prosser, public safety director and police chief for the City of Storm Lake, declined to offer further information regarding the evidence obtained from the computers, indicating such information would be presented at trial. Law enforcement officials report that the investigation is ongoing.

After his arrest, Payne posted the court-imposed $11,300 bond on Feb. 14 and was released.

Payne has been posting to a personal blog, The Road Less Traveled, since November 2007 and has made violence -- especially sexual violence against women -- a focus of his writings there. In his introductory post dated Nov. 15, 2007 he wrote:

"I am a dedicated activist working against racism and sexism, war, poverty, environmental degradation, imperialism, as well as sexual violence and other forms of abuse. I am perhaps most active applying radical feminist critiques to pornography and prostitution, as well as other systems that eroticize the subordination of women. ... I see it as a primary goal in life to promote peace, compassion and mindfulness."

Payne goes on to document his degree from Buena Vista University, numerous honors and awards he received while at the school and his current goal of obtaining a master's degree in adult education through Capella University, a Minneapolis-based accredited online university.

In the latest post to his blog, dated Feb. 15, Payne urges readers to be compassionate toward both him and his family.

"For a variety of reasons, there is very little I can say about the recent news. So, unfortunately, I cannot give you the answers that you might seek. Worse yet, I can do little in the way of defending myself against a whole host of claims about my character that are both irrational and damaging. What I can tell you is that this may be a situation that demands a great deal of patience and a departure from our expectation that everything in life will make perfect sense. In fact, it may demand that people give me some room to breathe as I try to make sense of the situation myself."

Payne, who identified with radical feminists like Andrea Dworkin, attended a training for feminist anti-pornography activists in January at the University of Texas in Austin. An article in the Ida County Courier stated that Payne had "written papers and given several public presentations on feminist critiques of pornography, prostitution, and the 'rape culture,' in addition to serving as an advocate for survivors of sexual violence." According to the resume posted on his blog, he has attended many such conferences since 2004.

Cathy Grothe, director of communications for Buena Vista University, said that anytime such an incident occurs on a college campus, it is appropriate to review policies and procedures.

"As soon as the information came to our attention, we acted swiftly by contacting local authorities," she said. "As with any other legal matter, it is in the hands of authorities and we have a responsibility to assist them in their investigation."