Abducted in Plain Sight: Disturbing, yet Intriguing

Talk about absolutely insane.

Abducted in Plain Sight is a must-see. From beginning to end, all I could say was "no way". The events that unfold are nearly unbelievable, as its hard to imagine how parents could ever allow something like this to happen to their child. 

First, let me just say, having your child be kidnapped once is devastating; every parent's worst nightmare is losing their child. Having your child be kidnapped twice is another story. 

This story began in the 1970s with the Broberg family, consisting of parents Mary Ann and Bob, and their three daughters, Jan, Karen, and Susan. The Brobergs met the Berchtolds, a family of seven, through the Mormon church that they attended. The two families became close friends very quickly. The father, Robert, also known as "B", developed an obsession with the Broberg's oldest daughter Jan. Nicknaming her "Dolly", B said that Jan was "the one [he] was searching for."  

Jan was 12 years old.  

Jan did not see that his fascination with her was creepy or unusual and said that she felt as if he was a second father to her. He was so obsessed with her that he tried everything he could to be alone with her and wanted to get her family away from her. The first kidnapping occurred when B took Jan to the horse stables one Thursday night and didn't return. Jan's parents called the FBI on Saturday, but were told the office was closed for the weekend and to call another number if it was an emergency. Jan's mother decided not to call the number, but eventually called again five days later.

 Five days. What kind of parents would wait that long to call about their child missing? 

But, it gets worse. 

B was a master manipulator. First of all, he was able to convince Jan that she was half alien and that she had a mission to have his child by the age of 16. If she failed, there would be horrible consequences, which she absolutely believed without any question. B also manipulated her parents and had sexual relations with both of them, even after Jan's kidnapping. Prior to her kidnapping, he told her parents that part of his therapy for overcoming the abuse he experienced as a child was to spend alone time with their daughters. So, they allowed him to sleep in Jan's bed four times a week for six months. 

Jan's parents did not see the red flags. An adult man sleeping in a child's bed was somehow not concerning to them. 

Two years after her first kidnapping, Jan disappeared again. Once again, her parents did not call police immediately, but instead waited two weeks to report her missing. Eventually, Jan began to have romantic feelings for B. She was in love with him and wanted to marry him, and they wrote love letters to one another. When she was found, Jan was so unwilling to go back home, and was extremely concerned for B and the mission. 

B raped Jan over 200 times in five years. He was sentenced to six-months in a mental hospital due to an insanity plea, and years later was sentenced to one year in prison for a child molestation charge for another young girl. 

Only one year for child molestation. This is utterly disturbing; he should have received a life sentence for what he did to Jan. 

The naivety of Jan's parents throughout the documentary is unbelievable. Most parents would do absolutely anything to protect their children, yet Mary Ann and Bob Broberg simply watched as everything happened right in front of their eyes. 

Truly mind-boggling, this documentary is definitely worth the watch.