Controversial internet personality Chris Chan was arrested in Virginia on Sunday amid allegations they had sex with their elderly mother, who is believed to have dementia.
Chris Chan, who is identified as Christine Chandler, 39, in court documents, is charged with incest — which is a class five felony in the state of Virginia. According to Greene County police, on July 31 officers were alerted to sex crimes involving Chandler and a family member who lives in the Ruckersville area. Police — who called Chandler’s relative a victim in their statement — said an investigation resulted in an arrest warrant being issued for Chandler.
While police have not publicly identified the victim, Chandler’s arrest comes days after audio surfaced online in which Chandler is allegedly heard admitting to raping their 80-year-old mother, who has dementia.
***WARNING: The following video includes graphic discussions about incest, which may be disturbing to some. Please use discretion.***
In the 10-minute audio clip, Chandler is reportedly heard telling an unidentified person about the sexual relationship she is having with her mother.
(Chandler identifies as a transwoman and uses she/her pronouns. Amid the heated debate surrounding Chandler’s gender identity, Crime Online will use she/her pronouns in accordance with officials’ statements, court documents, and local media reports.)
Chandler allegedly claimed she approached the situation with “care and caution” — and that her elderly mother made the first move. Chandler is purportedly also heard saying she had sexual feelings for her mother for some time, and that she had sexual dreams about her in the past.
“She was partially confused at one point, but then she came around obviously,” Chandler is apparently heard saying in the video, referring to one of their early incestual encounters.
“She’s having a good time.”
Chandler allegedly told the unknown person that her elderly mother is enjoying their illicit relationship. Chandler purportedly also stated that she started having sex with her mother because she had no other options.
ICYMI: Christine Chandler, known as Chris Chan, was booked into a Virginia jail on incest charges. Chandler was arrested days after she was allegedly recorded admitting to sexually assaulting their elderly mother, who reportedly has dementia. pic.twitter.com/EoMsU7sCzK
— Jacquelyn Gray (@JacquelynMGray) August 2, 2021
While Chandler was housed at Henrico County jail as of Monday, Greene County police said in a statement that Chandler was moved to Central Virginia Regional Jail. Deputy Jason Tooley told Crime Online in an email that the move is procedural as inmates charged in Greene County are typically housed at the regional jail, which serves multiple counties in the state.
It is worth noting that Chandler is only charged with incest at this point, not rape. Greene County police said their investigation is ongoing and additional charges may follow.
This is not Chandler’s first brush with the law. Insider reported that in October 2011, Chandler and her mother were arrested after the mother hit a manager of a game center with her car. They were ultimately fined and completed community service and a year of probation.
In 2014, Chandler was arrested for macing a Gamestop employee who asked her to leave. Chandler was allegedly asked to leave because she was caught coloring in the arms of a Sonic display that was promoting the release of the video game “Sonic Boom.”
For decades, Chandler’s life has essentially unfolded for the world to see — and, at some points, to manipulate. From an entire Wiki page that painstakingly chronicles the native Virginian’s minutest details— including what outfit he wore in a vlog — to an ongoing YouTube documentary series that is on its 59th installment, Chris Chan is a product and indictment of the Internet.
Chandler was first introduced to many as Chris Chan, the creator of Sonichu, a fictional webcomic that borrows inspiration from Sonic the Hedgehog and Pikachu from the Pokemon series. Chris, who has claimed in videos that she has “high-functioning autism” (a term considered antiquated by many advocates in addition to emerging research) has been the target of countless doxing and trolling campaigns.
The Chris Chan saga, as some call it, has also been marked with personal tragedies. From his father’s death in 2011 to his home burning down in 2014, Chandler’s most intimate, private moments were anything but as the Internet — often overlooking nuance and grace — were at the forefront, ready to speculate about whatever gaffe or mishap followed.
But for years Chandler’s infatuation with obtaining a “boyfriend-free” girlfriend concerned some while being meme-worthy fodder for others. Chandler adopted a worldview that preceded the modern-day incel movement and with undertones of racism, homophobia, and transphobia. And while some tried to intervene and reel her in, many marveled at the downward spiral that was Chris Chan: an individual who never seemed to hit rock bottom.
The circumstances of Chandler’s arrest for incest come as a shock to many. For others, it comes as yet another footnote for a controversial (and at times sympathetic) person whose life was played out like a TV drama.
As of Monday, Chandler remains jailed without bond.
This story is developing. Check with Crime Online for updates as they are made available.
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[Featured image: Christine Chandler/Greene County police]
