Child-abusing mommy blogger Ruby Franke’s daughter warns parents about posting kids’ pictures online – Fox News
Child-abusing mommy blogger Ruby Franke's daughter warns parents about posting kids' pictures online Fox News
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The Impact of Child Influencers on Social Media
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The Warning from the Daughter of a Convicted Parenting Blogger
The eldest daughter of Ruby Franke, the Utah parenting blogger convicted of child abuse in February, is sounding a warning to parents who post photos and videos of their children on blogs.
Franke, a 41-year-old mother of six, and her friend Jodi Hildebrandt, a 54-year-old mother of two, ran a joint parenting and lifestyle YouTube channel called ConneXions Classrooms. In December, both pleaded guilty in a St. George courtroom to four of six counts of second-degree aggravated child abuse inflicted upon two of the Frankes’ children.
The Rise of Child Influencers on Social Media
“When children become stars in their family’s online content, they become child influencers,” Franke said in a statement before the Utah House of Representatives on Oct. 16. “It is more than just filming your family life and putting it online. It is a full-time job, with employees, business credit cards, managers, and marketing strategies. The difference between family vlogging and a normal business, however, is that the employees are all children. Children, from before they are born to the day they turn 18, have become the stars of family businesses on YouTube, Instagram, and most other social media platforms.”
Prior to ConneXions Classrooms, Franke ran her own parenting vlog, or video blog, on social media called 8Passengers, representing herself, her husband and their eight children.
The Influence of Utah’s Culture and Large Families
Shari noted that Utah is a “hotspot for family content” due to the state’s culture surrounding the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS), noting that the goal of the church is to “share” that culture “with the world.”
“[T]here is NEVER, never a good reason for posting your children online for money or fame.”
“We also have large families, which makes family content more lucrative,” Shari noted. “Specifically, many parents film their regular family life as an online video blog, called vlogging. But I want to be clear that there is NEVER, never a good reason for posting your children online for money or fame.”
The Dark Side of Child Influencers
Franke teamed up with Hildebrandt, a formerly licensed therapist, in 2022, and the pair decided to start their own parenting vlog on YouTube, often staying together in Hildebrandt’s multi-million dollar home in St. George with Franke’s children. They also hosted conferences throughout the country aimed at giving parenting advice to those having trouble disciplining their children.
“There is no such thing as a moral or ethical family vlogger.”
Shari said her mother’s blog became the primary source of income for her household, but sometimes the money that her mother’s vlogging work brought to the table was used as a “bribe.”
“For example, we’d be rewarded $100 or a shopping trip if we filmed a particularly embarrassing moment, or an exciting event,” Shari explained. “Or other times, simply going on vacation was expected to be payment enough—because most kids don’t get to go on regular and expensive vacations or trips. Never mind the fact that the child’s labor is actually what paid for the vacation or trip. There is no law in place to guarantee child influencers get any money from their work.”
She has since been calling on Utah lawmakers to consider implementing certain protections for child influencers.
The Arrest and Sentencing of Franke and Hildebrandt
In 2023, the two pals and business partners were arrested for abusing Franke’s two youngest children, a 9-year-old girl and 12-year-old boy. Some of the abuse occurred in Hildebrandt’s home.
Franke and Hildebrandt were both sentenced to serve four consecutive terms between one and 15 years each for each charge.
Conclusion
Shari’s comments before the Utah legislature on October 16 came 10 days ahead of the premiere of a Lifetime movie about her mother titled, “Mormon Mom Gone Wrong.”
Shari said on her Instagram story posted on October 4 that she and her siblings had never been contacted about the film and will not receive any proceeds.
“This movie is trash, and only hurts my siblings more. Please do not support this movie,” she wrote at the time.
Simon and Schuster is set to publish Shari’s upcoming book, “The House of My Mother,” on January 7.
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
- SDG 1: No Poverty
- SDG 4: Quality Education
- SDG 5: Gender Equality
- SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
- SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
- SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
- SDG 1.3: Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable.
- SDG 4.2: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care, and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education.
- SDG 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation.
- SDG 8.7: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labor, end modern slavery and human trafficking, and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor.
- SDG 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status.
- SDG 16.2: End abuse, exploitation, trafficking, and all forms of violence against and torture of children.
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
- Indicator for SDG 1.3: Proportion of population covered by social protection floors/systems, by sex, distinguishing children, unemployed persons, older persons, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, newborns, and work-injury victims.
- Indicator for SDG 4.2: Participation rate in organized learning (one year before the official primary entry age), by sex.
- Indicator for SDG 5.2: Proportion of ever-partnered women and girls aged 15 years and older subjected to physical, sexual, or psychological violence by a current or former intimate partner in the previous 12 months, by form of violence and by age group.
- Indicator for SDG 8.7: Proportion and number of children aged 5-17 years engaged in child labor, by sex and age group.
- Indicator for SDG 10.2: Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income, by age, sex, and persons with disabilities.
- Indicator for SDG 16.2: Number of victims of human trafficking per 100,000 population, by sex, age group, and form of exploitation.
Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 1: No Poverty | SDG 1.3: Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable. | Proportion of population covered by social protection floors/systems, by sex, distinguishing children, unemployed persons, older persons, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, newborns, and work-injury victims. |
| SDG 4: Quality Education | SDG 4.2: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care, and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education. | Participation rate in organized learning (one year before the official primary entry age), by sex. |
| SDG 5: Gender Equality | SDG 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation. | Proportion of ever-partnered women and girls aged 15 years and older subjected to physical, sexual, or psychological violence by a current or former intimate partner in the previous 12 months, by form of violence and by age group. |
| SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth | SDG 8.7: Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labor, end modern slavery and human trafficking, and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labor. | Proportion and number of children aged 5-17 years engaged in child labor, by sex and age group. |
| SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities | SDG 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status. | Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income, by age, sex, and persons with disabilities. |
| SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions | SDG 16.2: End abuse, exploitation, trafficking, and all forms of violence against and torture of children. | Number of victims of human trafficking per 100,000 population, by sex, age group, and form of exploitation. |
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