A Utah mother of six, who gained popularity on her now-defunct YouTube channel for offering parenting advice, has been arrested. Ruby Franke, 41, was taken into custody on Wednesday for suspicion of aggravated child abuse. Her business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt, 54, was also detained for the same offense. Authorities made the arrests after Franke’s 12-year-old son escaped from Hildebrandt’s home and sought help from a neighbor, who noticed duct tape on the child’s wrists and ankles. The boy was found emaciated, malnourished, and with open wounds. Franke’s 10-year-old daughter was later discovered in Hildebrandt’s home and also hospitalized for malnourishment. Two other Franke children were placed under the care of child protective services. Both women have been denied bail and court records indicate that they remain in custody.
Franke and her husband, Kevin, along with their six children, became YouTube stars in 2015 through their channel called 8 Passengers. The channel, which had nearly 2.3 million subscribers, was taken down earlier this year for undisclosed reasons. However, concerns were raised by viewers regarding the Frankes’ parenting practices. In one video, their then-15-year-old son revealed he had to sleep on a beanbag for seven months as a punishment for pranking his younger brother. There were also clips where Franke admitted to withholding food from her children as a form of discipline.
Following the arrest of both women, Franke’s estranged oldest daughter, Shari, who attends Brigham Young University, expressed relief on social media. Franke’s three sisters, who are also estranged, released a joint statement on Instagram, acknowledging the arrests as necessary to ensure the safety of the children.
In addition to their YouTube channel, Franke has appeared in videos on Hildebrandt’s ConneXions YouTube channel, where they provide advice on parenting and relationships.
Kevin Franke’s attorney stated that his client’s main concern is to keep his children together under his care in the aftermath of his wife’s arrest.
Overall, this incident highlights the importance of child safety and the consequences of neglectful and abusive parenting practices. Let us hope that justice is served and that the affected children receive the necessary support and care they deserve.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
