Bikers Against Child Abuse

Actress Jan Broberg Felt who was kidnapped twice as a child by Robert Ersol Berchtold and who is the topic of the Netflix film Abducted in Plain Sight, was at a speaking engagement with her mother at the Dixie State College in St. George, Utah for the annual Women's Conference. Fifteen members of BACA escorted Broberg and offered their services as security after Berchtold made threats if she insisted on speaking about her tell all book, “Stolen Innocence: The Jan Broberg Story.”[21]

That morning around 10:30, Berchtold drove up to the conference and asked BACA member Les Watson to hand out some literature. After Watson refused and told other BACA members to call the police, Berchtold revved his engine and drove into Watson. Upon being struck, Watson clung to the van's hood for about 100 feet, until Berchtold brandished a gun at which point he jumped off. Watson subsequently suffered back and leg injuries.

A witness was able to provide the van's license plate number.[22] Berchtold was initially released on $970 bail, but it was then increased to $19,250 after he was charged.[23]

In January 2004 a group of BACA members were removed from a Frontier Airlines aircraft preparing to leave for Denver when a member, Darrell Sparti, approached a parent who had spanked his child on the flight and told the parent to stop. An argument ensued, whereupon Frontier staff asked both the family and the BACA members to leave the plane, citing concern for "the safety of the passengers."[28][29][30]

On April 10, 2004, several members of BACA arrived at victims home upon the request of the child's mother. The child's abuser lived next door and it was stated that BACA members revved their engines and pointed at the perpetrator's house, the article states most of the BACA members did not know the perpetrator lived next door. The police were called and roughly 20 officers showed up. This incident escalated with accusations that the Payson police would start following them any time they would be seen driving around town.[31]

In a June 2004 article, a former member stated that some BACA members had a tendency to take the law into their own hands.[30] In 2016, New Zealand Police voiced concerns when BACA opened their Auckland Chapter. At the time, Auckland BACA Secretary Anne Murphy stated, "We do not use violence or intimidation.”[32]

Security Officer Coach stated that in some instances, judges will require BACA members to remove their “cuts” in the courtroom or limit their numbers.[33]

BACA utilizes a similar hierarchy that outlaw motorcycle clubs have such as, President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Sergeant at Arms.[40][41][42][43][44][45]

BACA is a U.S. Registered non-profit, 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization as designated by the Internal Revenue Service.[46]

On March 18, 2009, the Cyber Crime Unit of the Texas Attorney General's office announced that David Wayne Garvey, a member of BACA in Houston, had been arrested for possession of child pornography. Upon being notified of his arrest, the Houston chapter revoked Garvey's membership.[47][48][49][50][51][52] Garvey was sentenced on March 29, 2011, to 20 years on four counts of “Possession with intent promote child pornography”, Texas Penal Code 43.26(e).[53][54][55]

Two members of the Sam Bass chapter of BACA in Round Rock, Texas, Daniel Rodriguez and his wife Shirley Ann Rodriguez, were arrested on July 18, 2018, for 23 counts of abusing foster children in their care, including indecency with a child and injury to a child.[56][57][58][59] The Sam Bass chapter revoked the memberships for both Daniel and Shirley Ann Rodriguez upon learning of the arrests.[60]

Oklahoma BACA member Richard David West, 41, was arrested July 10, 2019 and charged with Lewd of Indecent Acts or Proposals to a Child Under 16. Pottawatomie County District Attorney Allan Grubb said he became aware of the crimes through one of his investigators. Grubb stated “That's where she met this man, who was introduced to her as someone she could trust. He came as a position of protection for her. Then he ended up becoming her abuser.” West was found to have photos and videos of the 15 year old victim who was introduced to him when she was 12 years old through the BACA referral.[61][62]