Ruby Franke’s family say she was ‘brainwashed’ as she’s sentenced over child abuse
Ruby Franke’s family wrote letters to a Utah judge ahead of the former vlogger’s sentencing over child abuse, saying that she was “deeply brainwashed” after meeting her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt.
“She was delusional. She was so deeply brainwashed we could not recognize her,” they wrote as they pleaded for mercy.
“During her career on YouTube, she often told me that her desire was to spread the message that ‘mothers are important and that mothers have strength in nurturing their children,’” Franke’s brother, Beau Griffiths, said in a written statement.
“I never had any concern for her and her children, and I was impressed with how generous and kind she has always been to my own children.”
“Many of the teachings from the Connexions program were reasonable and good,” his statement continued. “Unfortunately, as I later discovered, that is what made the program so dangerous.”
But the judge decided to give Franke, along with Hildebrandt, four consecutive prison terms for the child abuse charges they pleaded guilty to in December.
In a tearful statement made in court, Franke claimed she had been deceived by a “dark delusion.”
The mother-of-six was once a YouTube sensation, drawing in millions of subscribers to her channel where she offered parenting advice. But her reputation unravelled when she and Hildebrandt were arrested in August 2023 after one of Franke’s sons escaped Hildebrandt’s home.
In a harrowing 911 call, the neighbour said: “I just had a 12-year-old boy show up here at my front door asking for help.
“And he’s said he had just come from a neighbor’s house and we know there’s been problems at this neighbor’s house.”
The neighbour added: “He is emaciated. He’s got tape around his legs. He’s hungry and he’s thirsty.”
The malnourished boy later said that Hildebrandt put cayenne pepper and honey on their wounds that were caused by being tied with the rope, according to arrest warrants.
Franke and Hildebrandt have 30 days to appeal the judge’s decision.
Now, the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole will consider their behavior while incarcerated and determine how much of that time each will spend behind bars.
Key points
YouTubers Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt to be sentenced today
What we know about the case
How the child abuse came to light
Two defendants reach plea deal in December
Franke’s attorney says she was indoctrinated by Hildebrandt
Tuesday 20 February 2024 17:12 , Andrea Cavallier
Ruby Franke’s defence attorney says she was indoctrinated by her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt.
Ruby has unwrapped the layers of deceit and deception forced upon her by Jodi, the defence said.
The defence added that she is committed to doing the work.
“She is a delightful and respectful person.”
Ruby Franke weeps as she speaks in court ahead of sentencing
Tuesday 20 February 2024 17:15 , Andrea Cavallier
“I was led to believe this world was an evil place filled with church leaders that lie and molest....and children who need abuse. My choice to believe this led to criminal behavior. Jodi Hildebrandt was never my business partner, she was my son’s counselor.”
Franke calls her children and her now ex-husband Kevin the loves of her life as she breaks down in tears.
Franke sentenced on child abuse charges
Tuesday 20 February 2024 17:38 , Andrea Cavallier
Franke was sentenced to serve four counts of 1 to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to the child abuse charges last year.
Judge Walton sentenced her to four consecutive terms of 1 - 15 year for each of the second-degree felony aggravated child abuse she pled guilty to.
Per the court’s request, restitution is on hold with an eight-month deadline imposed by the court.
Jodi Hildebrandt is now in the courtroom for her sentencing
Tuesday 20 February 2024 17:40 , Andrea Cavallier
The defence for Hildebrandt said: “My experience with Miss Hildebrandt is that she is not the person she has been portrayed to be.”
“She accepts responsibility and the consequences of her conduct.”
Hildebrandt then speaks: “I sincerely loved these children. One of the reasons I didn’t go to trial is I didn’t want them to relive this.”
Judge tells Hildebrandt “you terrorized children’
Tuesday 20 February 2024 17:45 , Andrea Cavallier
Judge Walton spoke directly to Jodi Hildebrandt before imposing her sentence.
“This circumstance is largely of your making. Your conduct was disastrous for these children. In this case, you terrorized children.”
Judge sentences Hildebrandt to four consecutive sentences
Tuesday 20 February 2024 17:53 , Andrea Cavallier
Ahead of her sentencing, the prosecutor began by saying that “Miss Hildebrandt has shown no remorse. She continues to blame the children (in jailhouse calls).”
The defense: “There are two sides to every case. There are many allegations regarding these two individuals. The only facts in this case are those set forth in the plea agreement.”
The judge spoke to Hildebrandt directly before imposing the same sentence as Franke.
Court was then adjouned.
Ruby Franke’s brother claims ‘Jodi Hildebrandt was the catalyst’
Tuesday 20 February 2024 20:10 , Andrea Cavallier
Franke’s brother, Beau Griffiths, submitted a written statement claiming that Jodi Hildebrandt was the catalyst.
He was not in court on Tuesday.
“During her career on YouTube, she often told me that her desire was to spread the message that ‘mothers are important and that mothers have strength in nurturing their children,’” he wrote.
“I never had any concern for her and her children, and I was impressed with how generous and kind she has always been to my own children.”
“Many of the teachings from the Connexions program were reasonable and good,” his statement continued. “Unfortunately, as I later discovered, that is what made the program so dangerous.”
Momfluencer became a different person after meeting Hildebrandt, her parents say
Tuesday 20 February 2024 20:40 , Andrea Cavallier
Ruby Franke’s parents provided a written statement prior to the sentencing on Tuesday that claimed she was a different person after she sought out a therapist to help one of her children.
That therapist was Jodi Hildebrandt, who became her mentor in 2020.
“We noticed a shift in Ruby’s thinking the summer of 2020 and by that fall she cut all ties to us, her siblings, and close friends,” her parents wrote.
“For three years what brief communications we had with her she accused us of either things that never happen or she grossly exaggerated the events that did. She was delusional. She was so deeply brainwashed we could not recognize her.”
Following her arrest, Franke became herself again, they said, writing that “she expressed her gratitude for being incarcerated and felt the mighty wakeup call was a huge blessing.”
“As her mother and father, we plead with you to show her as much mercy as you possibly can. Hopefully in time she will have a relationship with her children and they will remember the mother she once was to them and will find it in their hearts to forgive her, this would be the greatest healing balm of all for them.”
Prosecutor said Ruby Franke’s children were in a ‘concentration camp-like setting’
Tuesday 20 February 2024 21:03 , Andrea Cavallier
Ahead of Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt’s sentencing hearings, prosecutor Eric Clarke said Franke’s children were in a “concentration camp-like setting.”
“The children were regularly denied food, water, beds to sleep in and virtually all forms of entertainment,” he said. "They were isolated from others and were hidden when people came to visit the house ... the children were forced to do physical tasks, like carrying ... boxes up and down stairs and wall sits or sitting against a wall without a chair or a stool for hours at a time.”
He continued: “They were also forced to do manual labor outdoors and in the extreme summer heat, at times without shoes or socks. They were forced to stand outside on a cement patio in the summer heat for hours, and even days at a time. They were beaten ... both children had extensive physical injuries from the abuse that required hospitalization when they were found. The injuries from the binding to the 12-year-old are particularly awful.”
“Had the older of the children not had the courage to run away and ask a neighbor to call the police, heaven only knows how much longer he could have survived in that situation.”
Just before Hildebrandt was sentenced, Mr Clarke said that while Franke had shown “considerable remorse” by agreeing to consecutive prison terms and being willing to cooperate with the state against Hildebrandt, he said Hildebrandt had "shown little to no remorse for her actions.”
“In telephone conversations that will be provided in full to the Board of Pardons and Parole — and which she knew to be recorded — she’s repeatedly claimed that she is the victim and the children are the perpetrators,” Mr Clarke said, adding that he believes Hildebrandt is a “significant threat to the community.”
Full Story: Momfluencer Ruby Franke will serve up to 60 years in prison
Tuesday 20 February 2024 21:30 , Andrea Cavallier
Ruby Franke, a mother of six who used to give parenting advice to millions online, broke down in tears as she spoke to the court on Tuesday just before a Utah judge handed down four 1-15-year sentences in prison, one for each of the four counts of child abuse to which she pleaded guilty in December.
Her former business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt, received the same sentence as Franke. They will serve their sentences consecutively, as determined by their plea agreements. The two women face four to 60 years in prison, a decision that will be made by the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole at a later date.
On Tuesday, Franke shared a tearful apology to her children for physically and emotionally abusing them.
Read more:
YouTube mom Ruby Franke is jailed for up to 60 years on child abuse charges
Judge tells Hildebrandt she ‘terrorized’ Ruby Franke's children
Tuesday 20 February 2024 22:30 , Andrea Cavallier
Judge John Walton had harsh words for Jodi Hildebrandt at her sentencing hearing, telling her that she “terrorized” Ruby Franke’s children.
“This circumstance is tragic; it’s largely of course of your making. By any measure, your conduct in this case was disastrous for these children. Adults are supposed to protect children. Adults with specialized training in particular are supposed to protect children. You didn’t do that in this case. In this case, you terrorized children and the results have been tragic.”
"Adults are supposed to protect children,” he told her.
“What happened to these children and your philosophy in dealing with them frankly seems detached from reality or any objective standard of decency or even common sense.”
Hildebrandt was given the maximum sentence of up to 60 years for four counts of child abuse.
Ruby Franke’s estranged husband cries in court after calling for harsh prison sentence for YouTube mom ahead of hearing
Tuesday 20 February 2024 23:30 , Andrea Cavallier
The estranged husband of disgraced YouTube mom Ruby Franke called for his wife to face lengthy prison time as she is sentenced for child abuse.
Franke is being sentenced on Tuesday after pleading guilty to four counts of child abuse, months after her son was found emaciated and suffering wounds at her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt’s home.
Kevin Franke, who used to run the family YouTube vlogging channel “8Passengers” with his wife, spoke out ahead of her sentencing to say he hopes the judge comes down heavily on her.
“We trust the judge to sentence them both to 1-15 years for each of the four counts, to run consecutively, and then let the Utah State Board of Pardons decide if that should be shortened or other conditions imposed,” according to a statement Mr Franke’s attorney shared with Law&Crime.
Read more:
Ruby Franke’s husband calls for harsh prison sentence for YouTube mom
Watch: YouTuber Ruby Franke apologises to children as judge sentences her to 60 years
Wednesday 21 February 2024 00:30 , Andrea Cavallier
How do Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt know each other?
Wednesday 21 February 2024 02:00 , Andrea Cavallier
Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt were reportedly business partners before they were arrested on child abuse charges in August.
The two women posted parenting videos on their Instagram page “Moms of Truth,” which also advertised their parenting “coaching” services.
But in her statement at her sentencing hearing on Tuesday, Franke said Hildebrandt was never her business partner.
“Jodi Hildebrandt was never my business partner,” Franke said. “Nor was I employed by her. I have never received wages from her or Connexions. Jodi was employed as my son’s counselor in 2019 and in 2020, I paid her to be my mentor. It is important to me to demonstrate my remorse and regret without blame. I take full accountability for my choices and it is my preference that I serve a prison sentence.”
Franke is listed on Hildebrandt’s life coaching website Connexions, as a business team member with the title “certified mental fitness trainer.”
Franke’s sister Julie Deru previously said that Franke began counseling sessions with Hildebrandt in 2020 “because their family needed it.”
Her parents wrote in a victim impact statement on Tuesday that Franke had become a different person after meeting Hildebrandt.
Concerns over 8 Passengers YouTube channel
Wednesday 21 February 2024 03:00 , Andrea Cavallier
Both Ruby Franke and her now estranged husband Kevin received criticism over the years from viewers on parenting decisions they documented on their channel.
This included banning their oldest son from his bedroom for seven months for pranking his younger brother and Ruby Franke refusing to take lunch to a kindergartener who forgot it at home.
Other incidents that raised alarm bells for viewers was the parents telling their two youngest children that they would not be getting presents from Santa Claus for being selfish and withholding food from their children.
Their actions on the channel prompted viewers to create an online petition in 2020 after they saw this incident and other examples of harsh punishments, prompting child services to be called.
Shari Franke also called the police on her parents in September 2022, around a year before her mother was arrested, to report her brothers and sisters had been left home alone for days, according to police reports.
Records show officers stopped by the house four more times from 22 September to 3 October.
WATCH: Bodycam shows moment neighbours learn Ruby Franke allegedly kept children in ‘safe’
Wednesday 21 February 2024 05:00 , Andrea Cavallier
Police bodycam footage shows the moment a neighbour of Ruby Franke found out that the YouTube parenting influencer had been allegedly keeping her children in a ‘safe.’
The neighbour, Pam Bodtcher, was visibly shocked when told about the child abuse.
Franke and her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt were sentenced Tuesday to four to 60 years in prison.
Here’s what we know about Ruby Franke
Wednesday 21 February 2024 07:00 , Andrea Cavallier
Franke gained millions of subscribers to her parental advice YouTube. Now she’s been sentenced for child abuse.
But how did the family-friendly channel turn into something potentially sinister?
Here’s what we know about the child abuse scandal plaguing YouTube family 8 Passengers:
Ruby Franke used to offer parental advice. She’s set to be sentenced for child abuse
Here’s what we know about Jodi Hildebrandt
Wednesday 21 February 2024 09:00 , Andrea Cavallier
Jodi Hildebrandt, 54, pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse for trying to convince Ruby Franke’s two youngest children that they were evil, possessed and needed to be punished to repent.
The Utah mental health counselor, who had been hired to work with Franke’s youngest son before going into business with her, received four consecutive prison sentences of one to 15 years.
Hildebrandt, along with Franke, were arrested at Hildebrandt’s house in the southern Utah city of Ivins last August after Franke’s 12-year-old son escaped through a window and asked a neighbor to call the police, according to a 911 call released by the St. George Police Department.
The boy was thin, covered in wounds and had duct tape around his ankles and wrists. He told investigators that Hildebrandt had put ropes on his limbs and used cayenne pepper and honey to dress his cuts, according to a search warrant.
Hildebrandt said they also forced him into hours of physical labor in the summer heat without much food or water, causing dehydration and blistering sunburns. The boy was told that everything being done to him was an act of love, according to the plea agreements.
Hildebrandt also has admitted to coercing Franke’s youngest daughter, who was 9 at the time, to jump into a cactus multiple times and run barefoot on dirt roads until her feet blistered. The boy and girl were taken to the hospital after the arrests and placed in state custody along with two more of their siblings.
While Franke has shown remorse and cooperated with attorneys, prosecutor Eric Clarke said, Hildebrandt has not and continues to place blame on the children.
Watch: Ruby Franke says she was deceived by ‘dark delusion’
Wednesday 21 February 2024 11:00 , Andrea Cavallier
What happened to Ruby Franke’s husband Kevin Franke?
Wednesday 21 February 2024 13:00 , Andrea Cavallier
Ruby Franke and her husband, Kevin Franke, launched “8 Passengers” on YouTube in 2015 and amassed a large following as they documented their experiences raising six children.
She later began working with Hildebrandt’s counseling company, ConneXions Classroom, offering parenting seminars, launching another YouTube channel and publishing content on their shared Instagram account, “Moms of Truth.”
Kevin Franke, the husband of disgraced the YouTube vlogger, filed for divorce in November 2023, months after she was first charged with felony child abuse.
Just ahead of her sentencing on Tuesday, his attorney issued this statement to Law&Crime:
“We trust the judge to sentence them both to 1-15 years for each of the four counts, to run consecutively, and then let the Utah State Board of Pardons decide if that should be shortened or other conditions imposed. The treatment these children received at the hands of those whom the children had a right to trust, was horrific and inhumane, both physically and psychologically. Kevin remains focused on the rehabilitation of these sweet and vulnerable children so that they might return to a normal life as soon as possible.”
ICYMI: ‘Momfluencer’ Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt sentenced in child abuse case
Wednesday 21 February 2024 14:00 , Andrea Cavallier
Former family vlogger Ruby Franke and her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt were sentenced to four to 60 years in prison on Tuesday for what the prosecution called described as “concentration camp-like” child abuse.
Franke said she was under the influence of her business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt. The Utah mental health counselor, who had been hired to work with Franke’s youngest son before going into business with her, also received four consecutive prison sentences of one to 15 years.
However, the women will only serve up to 30 years in prison due to a Utah state law that caps the sentence duration for consecutive penalties. The Utah Board of Pardons and Parole will consider their behavior while incarcerated and determine how much of that time each will spend behind bars.
The mother-of-six was once a YouTube sensation, drawing in millions of subscribers to her channel where she offered parenting advice. But her reputation unravelled when she and Hildebrandt were arrested in August 2023 for abusing her children.
It came after one of Franke’s sons escaped Hildebrandt’s home and fled to a neighbour’s home, who called 911.
The malnourished boy said Hildebrandt put cayenne pepper and honey on their wounds that were caused by being tied with the rope, according to arrest warrants.
What did Ruby Franke do?
Wednesday 21 February 2024 15:00 , Andrea Cavallier
The 41-year-old Utah mother of six admitted to a slew of horrific acts that included forcing them to work outside in the sweltering heat without adequate water until they “blistered”.
She tried to convince her children that they were evil and possessed and that the “punishments” were necessary to repent. She described the abuse as “acts of love”.
The disturbing details were revealed in Franke’s statement filed in court in support of her guilty pleas in which she stated she abused two of her children in Washington County from May 22 until her arrest on 30 August.
Franke further admitted to forcing the boy into long hours of physical tasks, working outside in the summer without shoes or adequate water. He received “repeated and serious sunburns” that blistered after he was “forced to stand in the direct sunlight for several days.”
The boy was denied sufficient food, and when given food he was given very plain meals while others in the house ate regular and more flavorful meals, according to the plea agreement.
Franke also admitted to kicking her son while wearing boots, holding his head under water and “cutting off oxygen by placing her hands over his mouth and nose.”
Ropes were used to tie together handcuffs that secured his hands and feet as he lay on his stomach, lifting his arms and legs off the ground and injuring his wrists and ankles, the plea agreement stated.
Read more:
All the abuse allegations against disgraced YouTuber Ruby Franke
Watch: Ruby Franke sobs in court as she apologises to children she abused
Wednesday 21 February 2024 16:00 , Andrea Cavallier
Ruby Franke’s children were in a ‘concentration camp-like setting’
Wednesday 21 February 2024 17:00 , Andrea Cavallier
Prosecutor Eric Clarke said Ruby Franke’s children were in a “concentration camp-like setting” and spelled out disturbing details in court on Tuesday at the momfluencer’s sentencing.
“The children were regularly denied food, water, beds to sleep in and virtually all forms of entertainment,” he said. "They were isolated from others and were hidden when people came to visit the house ... the children were forced to do physical tasks, like carrying ... boxes up and down stairs and wall sits or sitting against a wall without a chair or a stool for hours at a time.”
He continued: “They were also forced to do manual labor outdoors and in the extreme summer heat, at times without shoes or socks. They were forced to stand outside on a cement patio in the summer heat for hours, and even days at a time. They were beaten ... both children had extensive physical injuries from the abuse that required hospitalization when they were found. The injuries from the binding to the 12-year-old are particularly awful.”
“Had the older of the children not had the courage to run away and ask a neighbor to call the police, heaven only knows how much longer he could have survived in that situation.”
Ruby Frank’s children ‘had smirks and looked shocked’ during Jodi Hildebrandt’s remarks
Wednesday 21 February 2024 18:00 , Andrea Cavallier
Ruby Frank’s younger children were not in court, but her older children Shari and Chad were present for the sentencing, according to local reporters in the courtroom.
At a press conference that followed the hearing, a reporter stated that the two children “had smirks and looked shocked” when Jodi Hildebrandt said she loved their siblings, whom she had abused.
Before being sentenced, Hildebrandt made a statement to the court:
“I sincerely love these children. I desire for them to heal physically and emotionally. One of the reasons I did not go to trial is that I did not want them to emotionally relive the experience which had been detrimental for them. My hope and prayer is that they will heal and move forward to have beautiful lives.”
Hildebrandt’s attorney Douglas Terry responded to the reporter: “That doesn’t surprise me, but ... she was sincere in that statement.”
Ruby Franke’s parents say she was ‘deeply brainwashed’ after meeting Jodi Hildebrandt
Wednesday 21 February 2024 19:00 , Andrea Cavallier
Ruby Franke’s parents provided a written statement prior to the sentencing on Tuesday that claimed she was a different person after she sought out a therapist to help one of her children.
That therapist was Jodi Hildebrandt, who became her mentor in 2020.
“We noticed a shift in Ruby’s thinking the summer of 2020 and by that fall she cut all ties to us, her siblings, and close friends,” her parents wrote.
“For three years what brief communications we had with her she accused us of either things that never happen or she grossly exaggerated the events that did. She was delusional. She was so deeply brainwashed we could not recognize her.”
Following her arrest, Franke became herself again, they said, writing that “she expressed her gratitude for being incarcerated and felt the mighty wakeup call was a huge blessing.”
“As her mother and father, we plead with you to show her as much mercy as you possibly can. Hopefully in time she will have a relationship with her children and they will remember the mother she once was to them and will find it in their hearts to forgive her, this would be the greatest healing balm of all for them.”
How the child abuse came to light
Wednesday 21 February 2024 20:00 , Andrea Cavallier
On the morning of 30 August 2023, Ruby Franke’s 12-year-old son climbed out of the window of Jodi Hildebrandt’s home, escaped the property and ran over to a neighbour’s house asking for food and water, according to arrest records.
The caller told officials that the child appeared to be “emaciated” and “malnourished” and had open wounds and “duct tape around the extremities”, the Santa Clara-Ivins Public Safety said.
Arrest records noted that the boy had “deep lacerations” due to “being tied up with rope”. Authorities said that the 12-year-old’s condition was “so severe” he was seen by emergency responders and was taken to hospital.
Officers arrived at the home and carried out a search, where they found another child, a 10-year-old girl, in a “similar physical condition of malnourishment” and was also transported by EMS to hospital for treatment.
Santa Clara-Ivins Public Safety said that the Department of Child and Family Services was contacted, and four minor children were taken into the agency’s care.
Franke and Hildebrandt were then both arrested that same day and later charged with six felony counts of aggravated child abuse.
The affidavit acknowledged that two days before the incident, “Ruby Franke was seen on a YouTube video filmed in Mr Hildebrandt’s downstairs”, which showcased that the women were “present in the home and having knowledge of the abuse, malnourishment, and neglect”.
The 12-year-old boy later told police that Hildebrandt would put cayenne pepper and honey on their wounds that were caused by being tied with the rope, warrants detailed.
The warrant also revealed that officers found “Scott’s Tape and Saran wrap”, as well as papers, notes, a journal, two bowls containing a red liquid with a metal spoon, two super absorbent dressings, two “Coban bandages” with four white ankle socks, three sets of “a brown and white rope”, two handcuffs and three carabiners.
Officers also allegedly found a “possible safe room” in the basement of Hildebrandt’s home, records state.
See it: Ruby Franke apologies to her ‘six little chicks’ for abusing them
Wednesday 21 February 2024 21:00 , Andrea Cavallier
Franke issued a tearful apology to her children for abusing them before being sentenced on Tuesday.
“To my babies, my six little chicks. You are part of me,” the former Youtuber said.
“I was the mama duck who was consistently waddling you to safety. I can see now that over the past four years, I was in a deep undercurrent that led us to danger.”
PHOTOS: Disgraced YouTubers sentenced on child abuse charges
Wednesday 21 February 2024 22:00 , Andrea Cavallier
Ruby Franke was criticized for parenting vlog prior to arrest
Wednesday 21 February 2024 23:00 , Andrea Cavallier
Long before her 2023 arrest, Ruby Franke was already a divisive figure in the parent vlogging world.
Ruby Franke and her husband Kevin Franke created the “8 Passengers” YouTube channel, which has since ended and been deleted.
The parents were criticized online for certain parenting decisions, including for banning their oldest son from his bedroom for seven months for pranking his younger brother.
In other videos, Franke talked about refusing to take lunch to a kindergartener who forgot it at home and threatening to cut the head off a young girl’s stuffed toy to punish her for cutting things in the house.
Kevin Franke has since filed for divorce.
Where are Ruby Franke’s children now?
Thursday 22 February 2024 00:00 , Andrea Cavallier
Franke’s estranged husband Kevin Franke reportedly filed for a guardianship over their 16-year-old daughter, Abby, according to court filings viewed by Page Six.
The request for custody was submitted on 9 February.
Kevin, 45, has been trying to regain custody of his four minor children, Abby, Julie, 15, Russell, 12, and Eve, 10, since the Ruby Franke was arrested in August for child abuse.
The children were put in the care of Utah’s Department of Child and Family Services following the arrest.
They also share two adult children, Shari, 20, and Chad, 19, who were at the disgraced “8 Passengers” host’s sentencing hearing on Tuesday.
Her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt was also charged and sentenced.
Kevin filed a motion requesting Hildebrandt be financially responsible for their ongoing medical care, as she caused “aggravated psychological and emotional injuries.”
“It is clear and admitted that the children suffered immediate and continuing irreparable harm as a result of the crimes perpetrated upon them by [Hildebrandt],” he wrote in the motion.
He also asked the judge to prevent the liquidation or transfer of Hildebrandt’s assets, including her house, which was listed for sale for $5.1 million, so the funds could be made available for his kids’ recovery, Page Six reported.
A judge later ruled that Hildebrandt must set aside $100,000 for the children after the sale of her home is finalized.
All the abuse allegations against Ruby Franke
Thursday 22 February 2024 01:00 , Andrea Cavallier
Ruby Franke was once a popular vlogger who gave parenting advice to her millions of followers – but behind the scenes, she was physically torturing and starving at least two of her children.
The 41-year-old Utah mother of six, who pleaded guilty in December to four counts of second-degree child abuse and months later was sentenced for her crimes, admitted to a slew of horrific acts that included forcing them to work outside in the sweltering heat without adequate water until they “blistered”.
She tried to convince her children that they were evil and possessed and that the “punishments” were necessary to repent. She described the abuse as “acts of love”.
Here’s all the abuse allegations against Ruby Franke:
All the abuse allegations against disgraced YouTuber Ruby Franke
Ruby Franke tells court ‘I am committed to unlearning my toxic behavior’
Thursday 22 February 2024 14:44 , Andrea Cavallier
A judge sentenced the disgraced YouTuber and Hildebrandt, 54, to the terms of their plea — four counts of one to 15 years, served consecutively.
However, Ruby will serve up to 30 years maximum, as a Utah law caps prison time on consecutive sentences.
“I am humbled and willing to serve a prison sentence for as long as I need,” Franke told the judge. She has already admitted to abusing the children.
“I am committed to unlearning my toxic behavior.”
Bodycam shows moment neighbours learn Ruby Franke allegedly kept children in ‘safe’
Thursday 22 February 2024 16:00 , Andrea Cavallier
Police bodycam footage shows the moment a neighbour of Ruby Franke found out that the YouTube parenting influencer had been allegedly keeping her children in a ‘safe.’
The neighbour, Pam Bodtcher, was visibly shocked when told about the child abuse.
Franke and her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt were sentenced Tuesday to four to 60 years in prison.
What did Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt do?
Thursday 22 February 2024 17:00 , Andrea Cavallier
Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt were reportedly business partners before they were arrested on child abuse charges in August.
They tried to convince her children that they were evil and possessed and that the “punishments” were necessary to repent. Franke described the abuse as “acts of love”.
Franke admitted to forcing her son into long hours of physical tasks, working outside in the summer without shoes or adequate water. He received “repeated and serious sunburns” that blistered after he was “forced to stand in the direct sunlight for several days.”
The boy was denied sufficient food, and when given food he was given very plain meals while others in the house ate regular and more flavorful meals, according to the plea agreement.
Franke also admitted to kicking her son while wearing boots, holding his head under water and “cutting off oxygen by placing her hands over his mouth and nose.”
Ropes were used to tie together handcuffs that secured his hands and feet as he lay on his stomach, lifting his arms and legs off the ground and injuring his wrists and ankles, the plea agreement stated.
Franke said she was under the influence of her business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt.
Hildebrandt has admitted to coercing Franke’s youngest daughter, who was 9 at the time, to jump into a cactus multiple times and run barefoot on dirt roads until her feet blistered.
The boy and girl were taken to the hospital after the arrests and placed in state custody along with two more of their siblings.
While Franke has shown remorse and cooperated with attorneys, prosecutor Eric Clarke said Tuesday, Hildebrandt has not and continues to place blame on the children.
Parents of Ruby Franke say she was ‘deeply brainwashed’ after meeting Jodi Hildebrandt
Thursday 22 February 2024 18:45 , Andrea Cavallier
Ruby Franke’s parents provided a written statement prior to the sentencing on Tuesday that claimed she was a different person after she sought out a therapist to help one of her children.
That therapist was Jodi Hildebrandt, who became her mentor in 2020.
“We noticed a shift in Ruby’s thinking the summer of 2020 and by that fall she cut all ties to us, her siblings, and close friends,” her parents wrote.
“For three years what brief communications we had with her she accused us of either things that never happen or she grossly exaggerated the events that did. She was delusional. She was so deeply brainwashed we could not recognize her.”
Following her arrest, Franke became herself again, they said, writing that “she expressed her gratitude for being incarcerated and felt the mighty wakeup call was a huge blessing.”
“As her mother and father, we plead with you to show her as much mercy as you possibly can. Hopefully in time she will have a relationship with her children and they will remember the mother she once was to them and will find it in their hearts to forgive her, this would be the greatest healing balm of all for them.”
Ruby Franke’s brother claims ‘Jodi Hildebrandt was the catalyst’ of abuse
Thursday 22 February 2024 19:45 , Andrea Cavallier
Franke’s brother, Beau Griffiths, submitted a written statement claiming that Jodi Hildebrandt was the catalyst of the abuse they inflicted on the children.
“During her career on YouTube, she often told me that her desire was to spread the message that ‘mothers are important and that mothers have strength in nurturing their children,’” he wrote.
“I never had any concern for her and her children, and I was impressed with how generous and kind she has always been to my own children.”
“Many of the teachings from the Connexions program were reasonable and good,” his statement continued. “Unfortunately, as I later discovered, that is what made the program so dangerous.”
Listen to the chilling 911 call that led to Ruby Franke’s arrest
Thursday 22 February 2024 20:45 , Andrea Cavallier
A 911 call reveals the chilling details of the incident that led to Youtube influencer Ruby Franke’s arrest, when her 12-year-old child sought food and water from a neighbor.
Ms Franke’s child, who was reportedly also in the care of her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt, “climbed out of the window AND ran to a neighbor’s home” on 30 August.
The child reportedly showed up at the neighbor’s home with “duct tape” covering his ankles and wrists as he begged for food and water.
Alarmed, the neighbor called the police.
“I just had a 12-year-old boy show up here at my front door asking for help,” the neighbor says, according to a recording.
“And he’s said he had just come from a neighbor’s house and we know there’s been problems at this neighbor’s house,” the person said.
The neighbor continued, “He is emaciated. He’s got tape around his legs. He’s hungry and he’s thirsty.”
“He has duct tape around each ankle. There’s sores around them. He has them around his wrists as well,” the neighbor told 911. His voice shaky and distraught, the neighbor continued: “This kid has obviously... he’s been detained. He’s obviously covered in wounds.”
Ruby Franke’s son jokes about mother being jailed in TikTok post
Thursday 22 February 2024 21:45 , Andrea Cavallier
Ruby Franke’s son joked about his mother being jailed for child abuse in a post on TikTok, prior to her sentencing on a string of charges.
Chad Franke shared a TikTok of himself dancing and smiling along with the caption: “My mom’s in prison.”
The TikTok video showed Chad alongside his girlfriend whose caption read “You’d love my mom!”
In response, Chad is seen smiling and dancing as his caption reads “My mom’s in prison.”
On Tuesday, Chad was in Utah’s 5th District Court along with his sister, Shari, on Tuesday as their mother sobbed as she apologised to her younger children for abusing them in what prosecutors called a ‘concentration camp-like setting.’
What’s next for Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt?
Thursday 22 February 2024 23:00 , Andrea Cavallier
Ruby Franke and her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt have been sentenced to four consecutive prison terms for the child abuse charges they pleaded guilty to in December.
The prison terms could range from one to 15 years each.
However, the women will only serve up to 30 years in prison due to a Utah state law that caps the sentence duration for consecutive penalties.
The Utah Board of Pardons and Parole will consider their behavior while incarcerated and determine how much of that time each will spend behind bars.
Franke and Hildebrandt have 30 days to appeal the decision.
