Netflix’s Abducted in Plain Sight would be hard to believe — if it wasn’t true. Now the documentary has inspired countless hilarious memes from people baffled by the seeming absurdity of the Broberg family’s plight.
In Abducted in Plain Sight, 12-year-old Jan Broberg is kidnapped twice by family friend and neighbor Robert Berchtold. The 90-minute documentary features Jan Broberg’s parents — Bob and Mary Ann — who explain the shocking and bizarre details of how Berchtold entered their lives to pursue a relationship with their 12-year-old daughter.
In order to continue sexually assaulting Jan, Berchtold managed to seduce and have a sexual affair with BOTH parents. At one point in the documentary, they admit to allowing Berchtold to sleep in their daughter’s bed for several night, and also reveal that when she was initially kidnapped they waited several days before they contacted police.
In one of the most “wtf” scenes, Bob Broberg recalls being in a car with Berchtold, who asked him for “relief” — to which Bob duly obliged. Meanwhile, Marty Ann admits that Berchtold’s compliments about her appearance and casual flirting led to their affair.
The memes center around the jaw-dropping revelations that come thick and fast throughout the documentary, and in particular the “relief” scene.
Bob Broberg’s facial expression and comments have also seen him compared to Andy King from the Netflix Fyre Festival documentary, who also became a meme after revealing how he was prepared to “take one for the team” to help the doomed Fyre festival go ahead.
Abducted in Plain Sight reveals that the Broberg’s were part of a small community — a churchgoing family with five children in Pocatello, Idaho. Robert Berchtold had a child rape conviction at the time of the events, but there was no sex offender registry in the 1970’s.
As previously reported, Jan Broberg, who is now an actress, has responded to the memes circulating mostly about her parents. Robert Berchtold and Bob Broberg have both died since Abducted in Plain Sight was recorded.