Where is Chris Chan now? The latest case update

Chris Chan

Chris Chan is perhaps the most trolled person on the internet. She gained recognition on 4chan in 2007 for creating the comic book character Sonichu, a blend of Sonic the Hedgehog and Pikachu. Trolls created platforms like Kiwi Farms dedicated to investigating and shaming Chan. 

Users on Kiwi Farms have hacked Chan, sourced sensitive information from her by pretending to be potential partners, and filmed her without her consent. For the first time since the trolling started, updates about Chris Chan have grown scarce as she’s held by the government. 

Chan was arrested in early August 2021 on the charge of incest.

Chris Chan’s case has allegedly been referred to a grand jury

During Chris’ first arraignment in court, she said she couldn’t afford a lawyer. Therefore, judge Kenneth Andrew Sneathern appointed David Heilberg as Chan’s representative. The judge also moved the case to the Greene County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court (JDR). 

During her next court appearance, Chris urged the court to address her using female pronouns. Despite being a transgender woman, the Central Virginia Regional Jail had categorized her as male. Chan came out as a transgender woman via a 2017 Facebook post – and according to court records, she legally changed her name to Christine. 

The prosecution requested Chan be held without bond in jail, claiming concern for the community and Chandler’s safety. Judge David Barredo remanded Chan without bond until her next hearing, when her attorney would have the opportunity to file for a bond review. 

As far as we know, Chris has remained in state custody since her arrest. Some rumors claim she spent several months at the Western State Hospital in Staunton, Virginia, before returning to the Central Virginia Regional date shortly before her late July 2022 court date. It’s unclear why authorities referred Chris to the facility. 

A popular suggestion claims the court found Chan incompetent to assist in her defense. It referred her to the Western State Hospital to find out whether the hospital could restore her competency. Chan’s return to jail suggested that the hospital had declared her competent to stand trial. 

A Reddit update posted in late July 2022 claims Chan’s case has been referred to a grand jury. u/pt924 posted:

“An hour ago, I spoke with the law clerk (who is very friendly and I do feel bad for her given the bombardment of calls she is getting) and asked as to the status of the hearing. In her words: ‘The case has been approved for grand jury.’”

Updates about the Chris Chan case are scarce because the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court closed hearings to the public. If the latest update is accurate, a grand jury will determine whether ‘there is probable cause to believe the person accused has committed the crime charged in the indictment and should stand trial.’

Chan was arrested following multiple allegations of incest

Online trolls have accused Chan of incest since her father passed away in 2011. Several threads on Kiwi Farms derided Chan’s use of pet names like ‘darling’ and ‘dear’ to refer to her mother. 

In 2016, the speculation deepened when Chris defended a Mexican mother and son who allegedly claimed to be in love. She posted the following Facebook update:

“Although incest is quite controversial topic, there are circumstances where there would be not so much harm as one may think, feel or believe. Unless the sex act was abusive, hurtful, or would result in an unwanted birth of a physical or mentally challenged child, I would not judge or persecute the parent and child.”

Chris wrote she’d dreamt of having sex with her mother but hadn’t acted on her impulses. In July 2021, a Kiwi Farms user posted screenshots and a nine-minute phone call as evidence of Chan’s incest. The user got Chris to confess to her crimes by pretending to be a woman called ‘Bella.’

In the alleged recording, Chan talked about alleged sexual assaults on her mom that were happening at least three times weekly for about a month. Chan allegedly said her mom ‘made the first move’ and ‘it took a few tries’ to get right. Following her arrest, the Greene County Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook:

“On July 31st, 2021 the Greene County Sheriffs Office received information involving sex crimes against a family member, who resides in the Ruckersville area. Both the victim and the suspect reside in Greene County. Based on the investigation, an arrest warrant was issued.”

“This is an ongoing investigation with additional charges pending,” the sheriff’s office added. Chan faces up to 2 years in prison if found guilty of incest as a class 5 felony. She might get away with a fine not exceeding $2,500 and one-year imprisonment if the prosecutors treat the charge as a class 1 misdemeanor.