Ruby Franke Children
YouTube parenting vlogger Ruby Franke and therapist Jodi Hildebrandt were convicted of aggravated child abuse after Ruby's emaciated, bound son escaped to a neighbor's home.
On August 30, 2023, a malnourished child with duct tape on his extremities and open wounds escaped from a home in Ivins, Utah, and ran to a neighbor's house begging for food and water. The neighbor called 911.
The child was identified as the son of Ruby Franke, 41, a popular YouTube parenting influencer who ran the channel '8 Passengers' with over 2 million subscribers. Ruby had been living with Jodi Hildebrandt, a licensed therapist and her business partner.
Police found a second Franke child in similar condition at the home. Both children were severely malnourished, dehydrated, and showed signs of prolonged physical abuse. They had been bound, starved, and subjected to physical punishments framed as 'repentance.'
Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt both pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse. Each was sentenced to one to 15 years in prison per count, with sentences running consecutively.
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