Ruby Franke’s son reads disturbing journal from before she was given prison sentence

Warning: This article contains discussion of child abuse which some readers may find distressing.

Ruby Franke's son Chad has shared several diary entries he wrote in the months leading up to his mum's arrest.

The 20-year-old has bravely offered people an insight into what was going through his mind while he was being 'brainwashed' by the disgraced YouTuber mum and family counsellor Jodi Hildebrandt.

He has been sharing snippets of what he jotted down in his personal journal before the pair were finally brought to justice in August 2023.

Chad and his older sister Shari were not living under the same roof as their four younger siblings when police arrested Franke and her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt.

However, despite not being physically present during this time period, he claims that he was still being mentally manipulated by his mother.

The young lad, who is reportedly a realtor who got married last year, explained that his diary entries offer a 'day-by-day rundown of what it truly was like being brainwashed'.

In a series of TikTok videos, Chad told his 1.1 million followers how he found solace in writing during this period of his life, recalling how he journaled 'every single day'.

At this time, behind closed doors, Franke was inflicting horrific abuse on her young children alongside Hildebrandt.

The mum - who gained online notoriety for her '8 Passengers' YouTube channel - was forcing the kids to live in 'a concentration camp-like setting' at Hildebrandt's home, state prosecuting attorney Eric Clarke said.

The pair cruelly tried to convince the youngsters that they were 'evil and possessed', while believing that that the harsh punishments they inflicted upon them were a form of repentance.

Their reign of terror only came to an end after Franke's 'emaciated' son, who was 12 at the time, escaped the Utah property while sporting duct tape around his wrists and ankles to alert neighbours.

The case was recently revisited in the chilling documentary, Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story, which landed on Netflix in December.

None of the Franke children appeared in the doc, however, Chad has now began sharing aspects of his own story online.

In a diary entry from 22 January, 2023 - seven months before 44-year-old Franke was arrested - Chad wrote a note titled 'Call with Mom'.

Reciting it in a video shared to social media, he said: "I enjoyed this Sunday. [Him and his roommates] all went to church and I was exhausted.

"I came home and we all played Mario Kart together. I cooked funeral potatoes, which I love, and then I called mom. We talked for two hours about removing lust. It's a little more complicated and difficult than I thought."

Explaining he was employed as a lifeguard at the time, Chad continued: "Being at the pool has many opportunities to show God I will not lust anymore.

"This week, I want to focus my time doing these activities: scripture study, scripture notes, travelling to work, finishing and starting a finance book, finish a 12-hour python coding course and keep on cooking."

He explained that the contents of his journal was 'not all bad', adding: "Scripture study, not bad, cooking, obviously not bad. And talking to my brainwashed mom at the time, also not bad. So, this is just me giving my story."

Another entry from 23 January, 2023, titled 'Scanning' detailed how Chad was working to 'rid lust after a lifetime of feeding it'.

"But at the pool, I have more and more chances to evidence I will not lust," he wrote. "It will take more practice and I have not spoken the lustful language or shared lustful comments.

"It is all immature and I need and want to grow into a hardworking and principled man," Chad went on. "I need to be disciplined."

A third entry which he made the following day was titled 'Waste of Time' and it read: "I got up early to go to a fast shift. I was really tired and excited to go home and sleep, but instead I played Mario Kart.

"After that, and doing it again tonight, helped me realise that I am making entertainment the priority. This is a dangerous path. There is nothing wrong with entertainment, but I'm making it a distraction.

"I'm not thinking deeply enough before choosing. And usually, thinking that deeply will lead to an answer my body doesn't want. I'll have many chances to practice that in the upcoming days."

In another clip shared to his TikTok page, Chad revealed that his mum has been sending him letters while locked up at the Utah State Correctional Facility in Salt Lake City.

He lip-synced to the sound of a comedic Key & Peele sketch titled 'Sibling Rivalry', which goes: "Shut up mom. Silence from you! You're cut off - from talking!"

Chad wrote the words 'every time I get a letter from my mom in prison' over the footage, while captioning the clip: "Don't drop the soap." His social media bios also sarcastically sport the words 'mama's boy'.

Franke and Hildebrandt both pled guilty to numerous counts of child abuse and were each sentenced to four consecutive terms of one to 15 years.

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000, 10am-8pm Monday to Friday. If you are a child seeking advice and support, call Childline for free on 0800 1111, 24/7.