Website linked to kidnapping faces scrutiny
Feds: Suspect visited forum 2 mos. before crime
CHICAGO — A website that hosted an “Abduction 101” forum linked to a 28-year-old suspect in the kidnapping of a Chinese scholar at the University of Illinois bills itself as the most popular sexual fetish networking site on the internet — and it has faced pressure in recent months to be clearer about not tolerating behavior that could be regarded as criminal.
Brendt Allen Christensen, who earned a master’s degree in physics from U of I this year, is charged in the June 9 abduction of 26-year-old Yingying Zhang, who investigators believe is dead. The federal complaint says Christensen’s phone was used on April 19 to visit the FetLife.com forum, including to view threads titled “Perfect abduction fantasy” and “planning a kidnapping.”
Christensen is jailed and due to make an initial appearance today in federal court in Urbana, not far from the University of Illinois campus where Zhang conducted research in agricultural sciences.
Christensen, from neighboring Champaign, was arrested Friday after agents monitoring him heard him tell someone he had kidnapped Zhang and held her against her will.
FetLife describes itself as “the Social Network for the BDSM, Fetish & Kinky Community,” stressing in online policy statements that it is a place for consenting adults to trade advice and images of themselves, and to arrange to meet. The site claims more than 5 million registered members.
As of Sunday, the site included multiple forums focused on abduction fantasies, and an “Abduction Play” group had more than 78,000 FetLife members expressing interest in the topic. Among the threads was one called “Tools of the Kidnapper” and another titled “Original kidnapping Play.”
Anyone can register on the site and become a member in a process that takes just a few minutes and that doesn’t require independent verification. Users give their ages, genders and roles they wish to play, but otherwise remain anonymous.
Detailed policy guidelines on the site stress that any interaction online or in person with members must be between adults and consensual.
Authorities say Christensen kidnapped Zhang during the day as she headed to sign a lease for an apartment and was running late. She tried unsuccessfully to f lag down a bus, and, minutes later, is seen getting into a Saturn Astra that the complaint says belonged to Christensen. While authorities say facts in the case indicate Zhang isn’t alive, a body hasn’t been found.
Zhang’s father traveled from China to Illinois in June for the search. Zhang, who received her master’s degree in environmental engineering in China last year, was described by friends and family as bright and caring. She aspired to one day land a professorship so she could help her family financially.