Jan Broberg Wasn’t the First Girl that Robert ‘B’ Berchtold Targeted — Or the Last
With the release of Peacock’s true crime, A Friend of the Family, interest in the kidnapping of Jan Broberg by Robert Berchtold in the 1970s was reignited. The older male close family friend abducted and sexually assaulted Jan Broberg twice. Both times the young girl went missing for weeks. Meanwhile Berchtold convinced her that she had to have sexual relations with him to fulfill a mission from another planet. However, this wasn’t the first time B told a young girl this story. He allegedly attempted to lure other children with the same story before Broberg. Additionally, Berchtold plead guilty to one count of rape of a child after his kidnappings of Broberg.
Robert Berchtold attempted to lure other girls before Jan Broberg
In A Friend of the Family, the church that the Brobergs and Berchtolds attend — the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) — plays a significant role in their lives. The series, produced by Nick Antosca and Jan Broberg, shows the family praying together each night and attending church every Sunday. However, (at least in the first four episodes), it doesn’t delve into the massive role that the church played in Robert Berchtold getting away with his crimes.
According to Forbes, Berchtold attempted to have sexual relationships with at least six other young girls before Jan Broberg. In 1974, the LDS church “reprimanded” Berchtold, but he remained a part of the religious community. The church never warned the other parishioners that he might be a threat to their children.
Some of Robert Berchtold’s alleged victims reached out to Jan Broberg and Skye Borgman
While filmmaker Skye Borgman interviewed Jan Broberg and her family for the documentary Forever B (it was renamed Abducted in Plain Sight by Netflix), several of Berchtold’s alleged victims reached out to her. At the time, the director debated whether the alien portion of the story was true or a coping mechanism for young Jan. However, after speaking with other women, there was no doubt in her mind that Berchtold did everything Jan described.
“Then, while we were working on the film, one of Berchtold’s other alleged victims reached out to us and told us a story about him using this alien psychology and saying, ‘You’re a princess from a different planet.’ He used this whole alien story on her, and that was the moment for me when I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s real. He did it.'” (Vanity Fair)
None of the alleged victims wanted to recount their experiences with Berchtold for the documentary. However, many have also reached out to Jan Broberg since she began sharing her story.
Berchtold victimized at least one other girl after Broberg
After Robert Berchtold’s second kidnapping of Jan Broberg, he spent 19 days in jail and five months in a medical facility for mental health. Then in 1986, a court charged him with two counts of rape of a child in Salt Lake City, Utah. He pled guilty to one count and served only one year in prison. (via Deseret News).
The accounts of these women may not be the only ones who fell victim to Robert Berchtold before and after Jan Broberg’s horrific experiences.
A Friend of the Family premieres on Peacock on Thursday, October 6, with four episodes. The remaining five episodes will drop weekly on Thursdays through November 10.
How to get help: In the U.S., call the RAINN National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 to connect with a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area.
