YouTuber Ruby Franke Arrested for Child Abuse: Everything to Know

Ruby Franke Arrested on Child Abuse Charges

Ruby Franke, a Utah mother of six who branded herself as a parenting expert and garnered millions of subscribers to her now-defunct YouTube channel “8 Passengers,” was arrested in southern Utah on child abuse charges.

While Franke, 41, and her business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt, 54, were initially arrested on two counts of aggravated child abuse, the charges were later upgraded to six felony counts of aggravated child abuse. They were arrested at Hildebrandt’s home in Irvins, Utah, about 300 miles south of Salt Lake City. The Frankes live in Springville, Utah, about four hours north of Irvins.

ET can confirm that Franke and Hildebrandt were arrested Aug. 30 on six felony child abuse charges. ET has also learned that Hildebrandt is in a jail medical holding facility due to ongoing medical issues.

ET has reached out to their attorneys for comment.

The Arrest

According to the Santa Clara-Irvins Public Safety Department, the arrests on Aug. 30 came after the department got a call about a juvenile in need of help. That juvenile turned out to be one of Franke’s 12-year-old sons, who police say escaped Hildebrandt’s home by climbing out of a window and running to a neighbor’s home for help.

Police say the boy showed up to the neighbor’s home with duct tape around his ankles and wrists and he was also “emaciated and malnourished.” According to multiple reports, the neighbor called 911 and said the boy told him that “what’s happened to him is his fault.” While waiting for paramedics and police to arrive, the neighbor gave the juvenile food and water.

The department said its officers eventually were led to Hildebrandt’s home, where another child — a 10-year-old girl — was found in a similar condition. The girl turned out to be Franke’s child as well. The juvenile boy and 10-year-old girl were then taken to a hospital, while two of Franke’s other children were taken by the Department of Child and Family Services.

The Arraignment

Franke and Hildebrandt made a virtual court appearance on Sept. 8, which was delayed for nearly an hour after more than 1,300 people — mostly TikTokers — tried logging on to watch the virtual hearing. According to multiple reports, the women appeared via video from jail wearing orange jumpsuits. They did not enter a plea.

According to charging documents obtained by The Salt Lake Tribune, Franke and Hildebrandt are accused of causing or permitting serious injury to the children in three different ways — through a combination of physical injuries or torture; through starvation or malnutrition that jeopardizes life; and by causing severe emotional harm.

The judge ordered the women to remain behind bars without bail. Their next hearing is set for Sept. 21.

The 911 Call

The St. George Police Department released the eerie 911 call, in which a neighbor appeared emotional while talking to the dispatcher.

“I just had a 12-year-old boy show up here in my front door asking for help,” the neighbor says.

He added, “We know there’s been problems at this neighbor’s house. He’s emaciated. He’s got tape around his legs. He’s hungry and he’s thirsty.”

Later during the call, the neighbor’s voice appeared to crack as if choking back tears.

“He asked us to call the police. So, he’s very afraid,” the neighbor says before taking deep breaths. “This kid has obviously been [breathing hard] … I think he’s been, I think he’s been detained. He’s obviously covered in wounds. We need the cops here as soon as possible.”

First responders, via radio communication, then described the boy’s wounds, saying he has “sores” all over his body.

Prosecutors allege Franke and Hildebrandt either caused or allowed someone to torture the two starving children. They further allege Franke was seen filming in the home days before the arrest, meaning she had to have been aware of the children’s deteriorating condition.

The ‘Expert’

Franke built a strong following on social media due to her so-called strict and no-nonsense parenting approach. But she’s come under fire multiple times. In one TikTok video she posted, Franke says her kids “are literally starving” because she wouldn’t feed them breakfast until they completed their chores.

Franke also came under fire after posting on social media that she refused to take her kindergartner lunch after the child forgot it at home. She said in the video that she told her daughter’s teacher she would not be bringing her lunch in hopes of teaching her a lesson.

“I know that her teacher is uncomfortable with her being hungry and not having a lunch and it would ease her discomfort if I came to the school with a lunch,” Franke says on video. “But I responded and just said Eve is responsible for making her lunches in the morning and she actually told me she did pack a lunch, so the natural outcome is she’s just going to need to be hungry. And hopefully nobody gives her food and nobody steps in and gives her a lunch because then she’s not going to learn from the natural outcome.”

In another video, Franke shared that she and her husband, Kevin, told their two youngest children they wouldn’t be getting any Christmas presents because they were selfish and weren’t responding to punishment. The Frankes share six children — Shari, Chad, Abby, Julie, Russell and Eve.

“It’s because they’re so numb, and the more numb your child is, the bigger the outcome they need to wake them up,” Franke said in video she shared on social media.

Franke launched her “8 Passengers” YouTube channel in 2015, where she chronicled the Mormon family’s activities, her parenting style and home renovations,

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

The SDGs that are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article are:

– SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

– SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

The specific targets under the identified SDGs are:

– Target 3.2: By 2030, end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age, with all countries aiming to reduce neonatal mortality to at least as low as 12 per 1,000 live births and under-5 mortality to at least as low as 25 per 1,000 live births.

– Target 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?

The article mentions that two children were found in an emaciated and malnourished condition, indicating a potential violation of Target 3.2 under SDG 3. Additionally, the individuals arrested are facing charges of aggravated child abuse, which indicates a violation of Target 16.2 under SDG 16.

4. SDGs, Targets, and Indicators