Jan Broberg kidnapped TWICE raped by family friend that also had sexual ...

The Brobergs were a happy family. Bob Broberg owned a thriving flower shop in downtown Pocatello, Idaho, his wife Mary Ann was a church chorister and a busy homemaker raising their three daughters: Jan, Karen and Susan. Their childhood was happy, free, innocent, and stable. ‘We had the type of neighborhood that never locked their doors, they were always open, you could trust everyone in the neighborhood,’ Mary Ann said.

It was that naivety that would come back to haunt the Broberg family.

It was 1974 when their 12-year-old daughter Jan was abducted and sexually abused by a close family friend. When she was 14-years-old when she was kidnapped a second time by the same man.

Her abuser, Robert ‘B’ Berchtold, had wheedled his way into her family’s life; spending two years befriending her parents after meeting Mary Ann in church and gaining their trust as a means to get closer to Jan. He learned their weaknesses, exploited their vulnerabilities for blackmail and seduced both Bob and Mary Ann to create a wedge in their marriage.

At the culmination of his horrifying scheme, after years of manipulation, he repeatedly raped Jan under the guise that she was involved in a top-secret alien mission to save their species by reproducing before her 16th birthday or her sister and father would suffer the consequence of being ‘vaporized.’ The extent of his brainwashing on Jan dug so deeply into her pre-pubescent psyche that she says she went from ‘loving him like a father figure to loving him like a husband.’

The harrowing story is recounted by the Brobergs, an FBI investigator and recordings of Berchtold in the Netflix documentary movie ‘Abducted In Plain Sight,’ directed by Skye Borgman. It follows the family’s traumatic saga from its innocent beginning to the day Berchtold committed suicide 30 years later in 2005.

The Broberg family from Pocatello, Idaho was left completely devastated after years of grooming and manipulation at the hands of a close family friend, Robert 'B' Berchtold. The Netflix  documentary, Abducted in Plain Sight details Jan's harrowing story of her kidnappings and  years of sexual abuse by the neighbor she trusted 'like a father.' Pictured front left Mary Ann Broberg, Jan (back row, left) Karen (back row, right) Susan (center) and Bob Broberg right 

The Broberg family from Pocatello, Idaho was left completely devastated after years of grooming and manipulation at the hands of a close family friend, Robert 'B' Berchtold. The Netflix  documentary, Abducted in Plain Sight details Jan's harrowing story of her kidnappings and  years of sexual abuse by the neighbor she trusted 'like a father.' Pictured front left Mary Ann Broberg, Jan (back row, left) Karen (back row, right) Susan (center) and Bob Broberg right 

Bob Berchtold, a father of five himself, was instantly infatuated with Jan Broberg when their families first met in 1972 at their Mormon church. He nicknamed Jan, 'dolly' and said, ‘She was a very beautiful little girl and I knew she was the one I was searching for’

Bob Berchtold, a father of five himself, was instantly infatuated with Jan Broberg when their families first met in 1972 at their Mormon church. He nicknamed Jan, 'dolly' and said, ‘She was a very beautiful little girl and I knew she was the one I was searching for’

Bob Berchtold was a master manipulator, he used charm and charisma to insert himself into the Broberg family and drive a wedge between Bob and Mary Ann. Gaining their trust, he           was allowed to sleep in Jan's bedroom four nights a week; eventually kidnapping her twice and carting her off to Mexico for a quick wedding. He repeatedly raped Jan under the guise that she was part of an alien conspiracy to save their species and threatened that her family would be 'vaporized' if she didn't partake

Bob Berchtold was a master manipulator, he used charm and charisma to insert himself into the Broberg family and drive a wedge between Bob and Mary Ann. Gaining their trust, he           was allowed to sleep in Jan's bedroom four nights a week; eventually kidnapping her twice and carting her off to Mexico for a quick wedding. He repeatedly raped Jan under the guise that she was part of an alien conspiracy to save their species and threatened that her family would be 'vaporized' if she didn't partake

The Brobergs were active members in the Mormon Church where they met Bob Berchtold, a father of five in June of 1972. The two families had a lot in common and became fast, inseparable friends. ‘He had such an effervescent, wonderful personality,’ said Bob Broberg. ‘It just sort of clicked.’ The Berchtolds and Brobergs enjoyed family vacations and holidays together. Jan said: ‘We had some of our best family times when we were with the Berchtold family.’

Bertchtold was instantly infatuated with Jan; he nicknamed her his ‘Dolly;’ and in chilling tape recording that opens the documentary said: ‘She was a very beautiful little girl and I knew she was the one I was searching for.’

His brainwashing on the Broberg family started right away. He preyed on their vulnerabilities and manipulated Bob and Mary Ann into separate sexual relationships. In a tape recording revealed in the film, Berchtold told the FBI in a matter-of-fact manner: ‘I entered into a homosexual relationship with her father in order to have access to Jan. I had a fixation for Jan.’ On camera, Bob admits that he ‘relieved’ Berchtold in ‘an act of masturbation’ during an afternoon outing when the two fathers were alone. ‘I did the worst thing I’ve ever done,’ said a teary-eyed Bob regarding his indiscretion with Berchtold.

In an interview with DailyMail.com, director Skye Borgman reveals that Bob’s admission was a watershed moment in creating the documentary because it wasn’t something he had done publicly before filming. ‘It was incredibly emotional,’ said Borgman. ‘I think he knew what a critical element to the manipulation that was and I think he also had a great sense that it was the final missing puzzle piece and that it could really complete the story.’

While the Broberg family knew something occurred between Bob and Berchtold, it wasn’t until they watched the documentary for the first time that they learned the precise details of what really took place in the early 1970s. It was an incident that would come back to haunt Bob sooner rather than later – and would continue to haunt him until his death in November 2018, according to his middle daughter Karen.

In an interview with DailyMail.com, Karen explained: ‘Once he (Berchtold) had something to hang over their heads, he controlled them. They had a ten minute locker room incident that affected my father for the rest of his life to his dying day.’

Bob and Mary Ann had been married for 13 years when Berchtold; a master manipulator began to make romantic overtures toward Mary Ann. He exploited the faults of their marriage during a time when many relationships struggle to keep things exciting. ‘Berchtold began saying things to me that were very exciting to hear. “Oh you have a beautiful body and those legs!” And I felt this fluttering inside of me…He could give me a great feeling about myself,’ said Mary Ann. Though it wouldn’t be until after Jan came home from her first abduction that their flirtatious exchanges turned into a full-fledged affair. 

 10-year-old Jan Broberg is sitting next to Bob Berchtold while Mary Ann Broberg smiles for the camera on Christmas Day in 1973. The two families became fast, inseparable friends,  'We had some of our best family times when we were with the Berchtold family,’ said Jan in the documentary

 10-year-old Jan Broberg is sitting next to Bob Berchtold while Mary Ann Broberg smiles for the camera on Christmas Day in 1973. The two families became fast, inseparable friends,  'We had some of our best family times when we were with the Berchtold family,’ said Jan in the documentary

Jan and Berchtold water skiing in 1973. 'I suspected there was something amiss about that outing,' remembers Cor Hofman, a neighbor who also joined Jan and the Berchtolds on this day trip to the lake. 'He had a way of flattering you, doing things for you and then taking advantage of the situation of trust that he put you in'

Jan and Berchtold water skiing in 1973. 'I suspected there was something amiss about that outing,' remembers Cor Hofman, a neighbor who also joined Jan and the Berchtolds on this day trip to the lake. 'He had a way of flattering you, doing things for you and then taking advantage of the situation of trust that he put you in'

It was October 17, 1974 when Jan and Berchtold did not come back from an afternoon of horseback riding. Berchtold slipped Jan a sleeping pill under the guise that it was allergy medication; her next memory was waking up in a motor home with her wrists and ankles shackled. She was introduced to Zeta and Zethra; alien voices dispatched through a small speaker near her makeshift bed. They explained to her that she was chosen to complete an important assignment that would save their galactic species by copulating with Berchtold. Believing that she had truly been abducted by aliens, Jan proceeded with ‘the mission.’ 

The mission meant that Jan had to bear Berchtold’s child before her 16th birthday. If she failed to do so, Zeta and Zethra would kill her parents, blind Karen and take her youngest sister, Susan, as her replacement. This elaborate ruse propagated by Berchtold secured Jan’s silence and compliance. ‘When you combine being isolated and completely afraid, you can pretty much get someone to do or believe anything,’ said Jan in the documentary. Especially when the person you trusted intrinsically ‘like a second father’ has also positioned himself as the savior.

The Brobergs did not report Jan’s abduction for five days in fear that it might upset Gail, Berchtold’s wife, who was also a close friend. While troubling, nothing led them to believe it was anything nefarious. Bob had well inserted himself into the Broberg family; winning their trust and confidence.

Pete Walsh, lead FBI investigator assigned to the case was struck by their naivety. Prior to Jan’s abduction, the Brobergs allowed Berchtold to sleep in her bed four nights a week over the course of six months. Berchtold convinced them it was part of a therapy program to overcome his own abuse as a child. “It was the 70s, I never even knew what a child molester was so I never saw those red flags. I don’t know how I was so gullible,’ said Bob Broberg.

‘My brother was always a sexual pervert. He always did like little girls, I guess he had a need to fulfill as a pedophile,’ Berchtold’s brother, Joe, tells the documentary.

Jan was just 12-years-old when the abuse began. It was October 17, 1974 when she didn't return home from an afternoon of horseback riding. Jan remembers waking up in a motor home to alien voices dispatched through a speaker near the makeshift bed she was shackled to. They told her she must bear Bob Berchtold's child in order to save their galactic species before her 16th birthday

Jan was just 12-years-old when the abuse began. It was October 17, 1974 when she didn't return home from an afternoon of horseback riding. Jan remembers waking up in a motor home to alien voices dispatched through a speaker near the makeshift bed she was shackled to. They told her she must bear Bob Berchtold's child in order to save their galactic species before her 16th birthday

Berchtold poses with Susan (left), Karen (center) and Jan Broberg (right). ‘My brother was always a sexual pervert. He always did like little girls, I guess he had a need to fulfill as a pedophile,’ said Berchtold’s brother, Joe in the documentary

Berchtold poses with Susan (left), Karen (center) and Jan Broberg (right). ‘My brother was always a sexual pervert. He always did like little girls, I guess he had a need to fulfill as a pedophile,’ said Berchtold’s brother, Joe in the documentary

 Bob and Mary Ann smile for the camera. One of Berchtold's more insidious ploys was in seducing the Brobergs into separate romantic affairs. 'I entered into a homosexual relationship with her father in order to have access to Jan,' said Berchtold in an FBI recording. Mary Ann recalls feeling excited and being 'in love' with Berchtold while Bob tearfully admitted to the documentary that he ‘relieved’ Berchtold in ‘an act of masturbation’ - it was something that haunted him till his death in November 2018

 Bob and Mary Ann smile for the camera. One of Berchtold's more insidious ploys was in seducing the Brobergs into separate romantic affairs. 'I entered into a homosexual relationship with her father in order to have access to Jan,' said Berchtold in an FBI recording. Mary Ann recalls feeling excited and being 'in love' with Berchtold while Bob tearfully admitted to the documentary that he ‘relieved’ Berchtold in ‘an act of masturbation’ - it was something that haunted him till his death in November 2018

The FBI eventually tracked down Berchtold and Jan in Mazatlan, Mexico where the legal age for marriage was 12. They had been missing for five weeks which was more than enough time for Stockholm syndrome to settle in for Berchtold’s child bride. She said: ‘The shift from I love this man like my father to I love him like a husband happened.’ Under his spell, Jan began to withdraw from her family and abided by Berchtold’s strict rules to stay away from all males including her own father.

Berchtold wasn’t going to take any chances going to jail for his abduction of Jan, he had already laid the groundwork for blackmailing Bob with their illicit affair months earlier. ‘He was going around telling people that my dad was a homosexual,’ said Karen. At the time, Mary Ann did not known of Bob and Berchtold’s one-off afternoon fling but she feared their dirty laundry would be aired to their Mormon community. Using this to his advantage, Berchtold coerced the Brobergs into signing affidavits that claimed he had parental consent to take Jan to Mexico – essentially absolving him of all guilt in the crime. ‘They were covering their own hide, not the kid,’ said FBI agent, Walsh in the Netflix documentary.

The documents effectively destroyed the prosecution’s case against Berchtold; he was sentenced to five years in prison but was released after only 45 days. Years later when Mary Ann finally learned exactly what transpired between Bob and Berchtold, Karen Broberg recalled her mother’s response: ‘That’s it? That’s all it was about?!’

Berchtold stayed in communication with Jan after his short stint in prison by passing love

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