Dr. Kate Seigfried-Spellar joined the Michigan State University School of Criminal Justice as a Professor in August 2025. Prior to joining the School, Dr. Seigried-Spellar was a Professor in Purdue University’s Department of Computer & Information Technology. Her research interests center upon online child sexual exploitation and digital forensic evidence.
What originally interested you in Criminal Justice?
I was heavily influenced by detective dramas and television in the late 90s early 2000s – I loved watching CourtTV, Body of Evidence, CSI, Law & Order SVU, and Forensic Files – I decided I wanted to be an FBI profiler, so I double-majored in psychology, law and society, and minored in forensic science. If I were going to be a police officer, I thought it made sense to not only have a background in criminal justice and forensics, but also to understand people from a psychological perspective.
What are your research interests and what sparked that interest?
During my internship with Crime Stoppers of Central Indiana, I had the opportunity to work closely with the Indianapolis Police Department to create “wanted posters” for various crimes. I became interested in those suspects accused of online child sexual abuse – specifically downloading child sexual abuse material (CSAM). This was a crime that, up until this point, I had never heard of, but there were so many people who were “wanted” for this crime. By the early 2000s, most of the research had really focused on pedophilia or contact child sexual abuse, and there was little research on online CSAM offenders. This sparked my curiosity. At the same time, I was conducting research with a faculty mentor on the personality characteristics of computer hackers.
So, since junior year of college, I have been interested in the psychosocial factors related to cybercriminal behavior, which includes hacking, trolling, cyberbullying, sex trafficking, and child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA). During my PhD, I studied digital forensics and psychology to gain a deeper understanding of how technology is used to commit online crimes, and how digital evidence may help us better understand the offender. Thus, my research is truly use-inspired and applied, as I strive to understand the challenges law enforcement face when investigating online crimes, particularly CSEA, with the goal of developing technological solutions to enhance their investigations.
What is your favorite part of teaching?
I love bringing my real-world experience, working closely with law enforcement, to the classroom – I am fortunate in that not only am I a professor, but I am also deputized as a special investigator by local law enforcement to assist with their CSEA investigations. I also love discussing current events that not only impact us from a criminal justice perspective, but also simply because our lives are increasingly consumed by the internet and digital technology. Questions like: If you have kids, when will you let them have a smartphone? Social media account? How will you talk to them about internet safety, sexting, and sexual extortion? These are questions that are important regardless of our academic interests in criminal justice.
What are you most excited about joining the School?
This is one of the most well-known Criminal Justice programs in the US with world-renowned faculty. I also get to play a small part in the future of so many students interested in criminal justice and cybercrime – a field that I am so passionate about.
What is a fun fact about yourself that you’d like to share?
I am a certified yoga instructor and love CrossFit.