A Story County man has been arrested and charged following an investigation into claims he filmed at least one female who was changing clothes at an Ames store.
According to Ames Police Sergeant Cole Hippen, during the early evening hours of February 24, authorities were called to the Target on South Duff Avenue in Ames in response to the alleged incident. Police were told that a suspect was believed to be using their cell phone camera placed under a fitting room door to record images of the victim without knowledge or consent.
Hippen told StoryCounty.News that, during the course of the Ames Police Department’s investigation, “digital evidence” was discovered that identified additional victims who were also filmed in the Target fitting rooms. Those reported incidents also occurred during the month of February 2025.
According to Hippen, one of the four victims was under the age of 18 at the time of her filming. A criminal complaint indicates that the juvenile was the victim who spotted the phone under the door of the fitting room. The juvenile victim reportedly confronted Leslie, who proceeded to leave the store before officers arrived.
The other alleged incidents occurred on February 15, February 16, and February 17, according to criminal complaints.
Ames PD has announced the arrest of 45-year-old Michael Joe Leslie, Jr. of Maxwell in connection with the incident. He faces the following charges:
• Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, a class “B” felony
• Invasion of Privacy – Nudity, an aggravated misdemeanor (three counts)
Leslie is being held at the Story County Jail in Nevada on a $55,000 bond, per jail records.
Anyone with additional information regarding the incidents is asked to call Ames PD at 515-239-5133. Anonymous reports can also be made by calling 515-239-5533 or by visiting www.crimestoppersofcentraliowa.com.
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