Anish Vij
Former YouTuber Ruby Franke and her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt are currently behind bars after pleading guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse.
They were arrested in August 2023 at Hildebrandt’s house in Utah, after Franke’s 12-year-old son escaped through a window and asked a neighbour to call the police.
The boy was covered in wounds and had duct tape around his ankles and wrists, telling the St George Police Department that Hildebrandt had put ropes on his limbs and used cayenne pepper and honey to dress his cuts.
The mother-of-six from Utah was once a YouTube sensation, providing parental advice to millions on her once-popular channel.
Racking up over two million subscribers, the page was called 8 Passengers and featured her husband Kevin Franke and their children Shari, Chad, Abby, Julie, Russell, and Eve.
Two years after the success of her channel, she joined Mormon therapist Hildebrandt's ConneXions podcast in 2022.
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They immediately attracted the wrong kind of attention after issuing controversial opinions about rape victims, immigrants, and people with eating disorders.
The pair were arrested two years ago after Franke's 'emaciated' 12-year-old son managed to escape the home to alert neighbours to what had been going on.
He had visible marks around his face and was asking for food and drink.
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After the duo were taken in, police found the boy's 12-year-old sister in a 'similar physical condition of malnourishment'.
One of the children also said they were forced to sleep on a bean bag instead of a bed for seven months, following accusations of withholding food, and cancelling Christmas.
Franke's oldest daughter, Shari, wrote on Instagram at the time: "Today has been a big day.
"Me and my family are so glad justice is being served.
"We've been trying to tell the police and CPS for years about this, and so glad they finally decided to step up."
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Once her husband became aware of the allegations, which he called 'horrific and inhumane', he divorced from Franke.
YouTube banned 8 Passengers and ConneXions from their site after the pair were charged with six counts of felony child abuse.
After pleading guilty to four counts, Franke's lawyer said: "Initially, Ms. Franke believed that Jodi Hildebrandt had the insight to offer a path to continual improvement. Ms. Hildebrandt took advantage of this quest and twisted it into something heinous."
Franke and Hildebrandt were convicted on 20 February 2024, and were given four separate prison sentences.
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The pair will serve up to 30 years in a Federal Penitentiary.
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.