Utah-based parenting vlogger Ruby Franke, previously renowned for her YouTube channel, 8Passengers, which chronicled her family life with her spouse and their six children, faced a significant turn of events in December. She entered a guilty plea on four counts of aggravated child abuse. This development unfolded about three months subsequent to Franke and her business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt, being apprehended and charged with a range of offenses. These legal actions transpired after Franke’s 12-year-old son, who was severely malnourished, managed to escape from Hildebrandt’s residence by exiting through a window. The boy sought assistance at a neighbor’s residence, where he asked for food and water. The concerned neighbor promptly contacted law enforcement, leading to Franke and Hildebrandt’s arrest.
The police affidavit detailed distressing observations about the boy’s condition, describing him as emaciated with evident wounds on his body, including injuries from duct tape around his wrists and ankles. Further investigation revealed that Franke’s 10-year-old daughter, similarly malnourished, was also present in Hildebrandt’s household. The authorities indicated that both children seemed to be under Franke’s direct care, with her purported awareness of their situation.
This tragic sequence of events marked a stark departure from Franke’s public image as a family-oriented content creator. The legal proceedings and the disturbing circumstances surrounding the children’s condition sparked widespread shock and concern, prompting discussions about parental responsibility, child welfare, and the ethical obligations of social media influencers. Franke’s guilty plea and the ensuing legal repercussions underscored the gravity of the situation and raised questions about accountability and consequences in cases of alleged child neglect or abuse.
The children were transported to the hospital and placed under the supervision of Utah’s Department of Child and Family Services, alongside their two younger siblings. Meanwhile, Franke and Hildebrandt were originally accused of six felony counts each related to child abuse.
Following the arrests, the Washington County Attorney’s Office in Utah issued a statement accusing both women of “causing or allowing serious injury” to the children through “a combination of multiple physical injuries or torture, starvation or malnutrition endangering life, and inflicting severe emotional harm.” These offenses carry penalties of up to 15 years imprisonment and fines of up to $10,000 per charge. KUTV reported that Franke’s plea agreement resulted in the dismissal of two of her charges. Prior to her arrest, viewers of 8Passengers had accused Franke of child abuse, citing harsh disciplinary methods such as withholding food.
The news of Franke’s arrest was met with relief by her sisters and fellow parenting influencers Ellie Mecham, Julie Griffiths Deru, and Bonnie Hoellein, who expressed in a joint Instagram statement that the arrests were necessary. Franke’s eldest daughter, Shari, who is estranged from her mother, also shared a similar sentiment on social media, expressing satisfaction that justice was being served.
Last month, both women were sentenced to up to 30 years in prison, the maximum consecutive prison term in the state of Utah. Below, everything we know.
In 2015, Franke launched 8Passengers, a platform where she documented her family life with her husband, Kevin Franke, who had previously served as an engineering professor at Brigham Young University. Their family included six children: Shari, Chad, Abby, Julie, Russell, and Eve. Franke utilized her channel to explore parenting topics and showcase snippets of daily routines, such as driving with her kids and scenes from family meals. However, suspicions among viewers about Franke’s behavior began circulating early on.
In 2020, allegations of child abuse aimed at Franke gained significant traction. This was triggered when Chad, one of her children, disclosed that he had been deprived of his bedroom as punishment for pranking his brother, forcing him to sleep on a beanbag chair for seven months. Viewers pointed to specific instances in Franke’s videos where she appeared to withhold food from her children as a form of discipline. Some clips showed her threatening to revoke dinner privileges, and in one incident, she argued that her 6-year-old daughter should go hungry because she forgot her packed lunch at school, as reported by the Post.
In 2020, a substantial number of viewers of 8Passengers initiated an online petition requesting an investigation into Franke’s parenting practices, leading to a visit from child protective services. Business Insider reported that the investigation was concluded without findings supporting the claims. Franke defended herself in an interview with the outlet, emphasizing that her children were given autonomy in their choices and dismissed the allegations as misinterpretations of her videos taken out of context.
Subsequently, Franke ceased uploading content to 8Passengers following additional accusations of mistreatment from viewers. The channel, which boasted over 2 million subscribers, was ultimately taken down in 2023.
After the backlash against 8Passengers, Franke began working with Hildebrandt, a life coach and counselor, for her platform, ConneXions. The site–slash–YouTube channel advertised itself as a “support group” for moms that helps “treat those lost in the darkness of a distortion,” and Franke signed on as a mental-health coach. The two frequently appeared together in ConneXion videos, advertised parenting classes, and ran the joint Instagram account Moms of Truth. Some critics labeled that venture a “cult” for its damaging and authoritarian teachings: directives that parents shouldn’t love their children unconditionally, for example, and a theory that children do not deserve privacy. Per Insider, the two women also used the platform to spew racist, ableist, and transphobic remarks.
According to the Salt Lake Tribune, Hildebrandt, who specializes in “porn addiction” therapy, was placed on an 18-month probation by the Utah Clinical Mental Health Counselor Licensing Board in 2012. This action came after allegations surfaced that she disclosed a patient’s case file to Mormon church elders without the patient’s consent. Subsequently, YouTube removed ConneXions following the arrests of the women.
CBS News obtained arrest records indicating that Franke’s 12-year-old son was placed on medical hold due to severe lacerations caused by being bound with rope. A police statement revealed that a search of Hildebrandt’s residence uncovered evidence consistent with the injuries observed on the boy’s body. Both women were denied bail and remain in custody due to the gravity of the harm inflicted on Franke’s children. According to the Post, an officer involved in the case stated in an affidavit that Franke had recorded a video at Hildebrandt’s home two days before their arrest, indicating her awareness of the abuse, neglect, and malnourishment occurring there. In response to the allegations, an attorney representing Kevin Franke emphasized his client’s separation from his wife for the past 13 months and his distress over the abuse accusations.
Shari Franke expressed relief on her Instagram Story, as reported by the New York Times, stating, “We’ve been trying to tell the police and CPS for years about this, and so glad they finally decided to step up. Kids are safe, but there’s a long road ahead.”
In February, both Franke and Hildebrandt were handed the same sentence, which could see them imprisoned for up to 30 years. Although they were each found guilty on four counts of aggravated child abuse, carrying individual sentences ranging from one to 15 years, Utah’s legal system stipulates that consecutive sentences cannot surpass a total of 30 years.
During her sentencing, Franke expressed remorse to her children and attributed her actions to being ensnared in a “dark delusion” over the past four years. She admitted that her skewed perception of reality went largely unquestioned as she distanced herself from anyone who challenged her beliefs. Conversely, at her own sentencing, Hildebrandt addressed the court by expressing her love for Franke’s children and expressed hope and prayers for their healing and bright futures.
