“Like Facebook, but run by kinksters” is how it describes itself.
It boasts around 6 million subscribers. Plus, a Chinese graduate student from the University of Illinois went missing recently, putting it in the news.
This is FetLife, a platform for bondage and kink enthusiasts. Just before he abducted Yingying Zhang in Urbana on June 9, Brendt Christensen allegedly frequented a FetLife forum named “Abduction 101,” according to the FBI.
She is still not seen and is presumed dead. Christensen has not yet entered a plea following his arrest on Friday.
The case has gone unmentioned by FetLife. Despite repeated emails, the site has yet to react.
The FetLife Process
According to the site, over 7 million people have participated in over 30 million photo and video sharing sessions.
“Kinky heaven!” proclaims the homepage.
Sex, BDSM, and kink enthusiasts can connect on FetLife, the website claims. Akin to Facebook, but managed by relatives rather than strangers. It seems more enjoyable to us that way. Do you not?”
You can find North Vancouver, British Columbia, and Nicosia, Cyprus, physical addresses on the site’s “about” page.
Pictures and names of sixteen individuals are displayed on that page. Of those, two claim to call Antarctica home. Many of them claim, “I help people.”
You need to create a free profile with a nickname, gender, and sexual orientation (each with eleven options plus “not applicable”). Then you can view the content.
Several dozen roles are available for you to pick from, such as brat, dominant, kinkster, and swinger.
Cases involving alternative criminals
There has been prior mention of FetLife in criminal investigations, including the one in Illinois.
In April, charges of producing and disseminating child pornography were brought against a man from Haverhill, New York. The man allegedly first interacted with the authorities on FetLife, where an undercover agent from the FBI task group was operating.
Meanwhile, an Australian guy who met a woman in 2015 through FetLife and went by the alias “The Wolf” has denied rape allegations. The alleged incident took place at a hotel.
