Ruby Franke of ‘8 Passengers’ YouTube channel arrested

[no1novice]

Count the red flags!

Momfluencer Ruby Franke of ‘8 Passengers’ YouTube channel arrested for aggravated child abuse
The momfluencer behind one of YouTube’s most famous channels has been arrested in Utah under suspicion of two counts of aggravated child abuse.

“8 Passengers” host Ruby Franke is listed as “in custody” on the Washington County Sheriff’s Office website after being taken into custody on Aug. 30.

Her business partner and ConneXions co-founder, Jodi Hildebrandt, was also arrested that day under the same suspicions.

In Utah, the definition of aggravated child abuse includes starvation, broken bones, head injuries from hitting or shaking and suffocation.

If intentionally inflicted, the perpetrator faces up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

Franke’s sisters released a joint statement to social media following the arrest, stating justice “needed to happen.”

“For the last 3 years we have kept quiet on the subject of our sister Ruby Franke for the sake of her children. Behind the public scene we have done everything we could to try and make sure the kids were safe,” the statement began.

The siblings said they “wouldn’t feel right” about posting “regular content” without addressing Franke’s arrest.

“Ruby was arrested which needed to happen. Jodi was arrested which needed to happen,” the statement continued.


“The kids are now safe, which is the number one priority.”

Franke’s estranged daughter Shari also posted a photo to her Instagram Story of police outside of her mother’s home and wrote, “Finally.”

She added a second Story in which she said she and her family were “glad” Ruby was taken away.


ruby franke, her husband and their kids standing in front of their house. Rumors of child abuse began to swirl in 2020 when one of Ruby’s sons said he lost his bedroom and had to sleep on a beanbag chair.


“Today has been a big day. Me and my family are so glad justice is being served,” Shari wrote. “We’ve been trying to tell the police and CPS for years about this, and so glad they finally decided to step up.”

Shari, 20, noted that the “kids are safe” but acknowledged that there’s a “long road ahead.”

The “8 Passengers” channel, which at one point had about 2.5 million subscribers, followed the lives of Ruby; her husband, Kevin Franke; and their six children: Shari, Chad, Abby, Julie, Russell and Eve.

As for Kevin, he told us via his attorney, Randy S. Kester, that his “urgent focus is simply to keep his children together under his fatherly care.”

Rumors of child abuse began circulating in 2020 when Chad shared on the vlog that his bedroom had been taken away after he played pranks on his younger brother.

The speculation worsened once Ruby admitted in a video that she wouldn’t bring her daughter Eve, who was 6 years old at the time, a packed lunch to school because she had forgotten it at home.

The Franke family told Insider that they were teaching their kids about the consequences of their actions and blamed viewers for stirring up “drama.”

The publication obtained a letter from the Division of Child and Family Services that said the case against the Frankes had been closed because the allegations were unsubstantiated; however, the famous family couldn’t shake the rumors.

What was once a prolific channel quickly turned into a desolate space, and eventually, it was removed from YouTube altogether.

Ruby and Hildebrandt, a therapist whose license was suspended after she talked about a patient’s “porn addiction” at her Mormon church, founded ConneXions in June 2022 and was immediately accused of being a “cult.”

The YouTube channel for ConneXions, which is still live as is the company’s website, promises to help people “successfully navigate life.” The group also says it’s meant to be a “mom’s support group,” but videos published by Ruby and Hildebrandt advise parents not to love their children unconditionally.


In September 2022, Shari spoke out against “the extreme beliefs” of ConneXions.

“Please know that many are working on this situation, and I hope one day we can be whole again,” Shari wrote on Instagram at the time.

“Please respect my privacy, as I work through my own healing as well.”

pagesix.com/2023/08/31/8-passengers-youtube-host-ruby-franke-arrested-for-aggravated-child-abuse/

In Utah, aggravated child abuse includes starvation, broken bones, head injuries from hitting or shaking, and suffocation.

If intentionally inflicted, the perpetrator faces up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
What do you think? Post a comment.

Ruby, who will be held in Washington County jail without bail, has declined to speak to authorities and requested a lawyer.

She was arrested after one of her “emaciated” children fled to a neighbor’s home requesting food and water with duct tape around their wrists and ankles.

YouTuber Ruby Franke was arrested after ‘emaciated’ child with duct tape around extremities ran for help
By Francesca Bacardi
August 31, 2023 3:42pm

YouTube star Ruby Franke of the “8 Passengers” channel was arrested Wednesday after an “emaciated” child with duct tape around their extremities escaped and ran to a neighbor’s house for help.

The arrest record, obtained by Page Six Thursday, states that the child fled through a window of Franke’s business partner Jodi Hildebrandt’s house in Ivins, Utah, and asked the neighbor for food and water — but when the Good Samaritan noticed duct tape on the child’s ankles and wrists, they called police.

“The calling party stated the juvenile appeared to be emaciated and malnourished, with open wounds and duct tape around the extremities,” a statement from local authorities reads.

Police on the scene described the unidentified child’s wounds, neglect and malnourishment to be so “severe” that they transported the victim to the nearby Saint George Regional Hospital.

The child was placed on a medical hold “due to deep lacerations from being tied up with rope,” per the cops.

Another malnourished child was discovered shortly thereafter, according to the documents, and also transported to the hospital.

The report states that Franke, who is known for her family’s YouTube channel, had filmed a video in Hildebrandt’s home just days before the incident, indicating that the vlogger had “knowledge of the abuse, malnourishment and neglect.”

Police also arrested Hildebrandt, who worked as Franke’s ConneXions co-founder and a licensed therapist.

[kittylady]

I was reading about this earlier. What a pair of Grade A fucking bitches!

[no1novice]

The bit that got me was

As for Kevin, he told us via his attorney, Randy S. Kester, that his “urgent focus is simply to keep his children together under his fatherly care.”


Weren't they under his care before when his wife was torturing them???
The kids need to *not* be anywhere near him either.

[kittylady]

Sept 1, 2023 20:59:46 GMT no1novice said:

The bit that got me was

As for Kevin, he told us via his attorney, Randy S. Kester, that his “urgent focus is simply to keep his children together under his fatherly care.”


Weren't they under his care before when his wife was torturing them???
The kids need to *not* be anywhere near him either.

To me that sounds like "Give me the kids so I can thoroughly coach them on what to say."

Kevin needs his backside slinging into a cell for enabling and allowing this to happen.

[no1novice]

Saw this comment & it made me LOL
I think that might be confusing Harry Potter in there ...

I can comment with authority on this. As soon as I saw how they were dressed and the abuse and words to defend it, I KNEW THEY WERE MORMON. Instantly. I know more about LDS than most Mormons do. This is so much more common than anyone knows. This Mormon Cult or LDS what ever you want to call it is pure evil in every sense of the word. They are sick in their spirits and their souls. If I took the time list what they believe that is far removed from the Gospels or Christ here, first it would be too long and second, it would shock you. A couple here? Okay. They believe that Jesus is satan's brother. They believe that you can become exactly like and actually a God if you are a good enough Mormon. They believe that you will get your own planet to inhabit when you die. IF YOU WERE a good enough mormon. The golden plates, the magic translating hat. The seeing stone. I could go on. It is a evil sinister cult.

[krisnine]

These influencer families are so disturbing. 

[no1novice]

Ruby Franke still married to husband Kevin amid child abuse charges
By Nicki Cox and
Francesca Bacardi
September 1, 2023 9:02pm



Ruby Franke and Kevin Franke are still married, according to the latter’s attorney.Instagram/@moms_of_truth

Ruby Franke and her husband, Kevin Franke, “are still married” despite the momfluencer’s arrest for aggravated child abuse.

The latter’s attorney, Randy S. Kester, confirmed to Page Six Friday that the pair are still legally a couple.

When asked if Kevin had any plans to split from his wife in wake of the allegations, Fester told us he was “not at liberty to respond about the topic of divorce.”

The Frankes — who used to run the YouTube channel “8 Passengers” — share children Shari, Chad, Abby, Julie, Russell and Eve.

Ruby, 41, was arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated child abuse Wednesday after a child ran to a neighbor’s house for help.

Her ConneXions podcasting partner, Jodi Hildebrandt — who recently posted an eerie video about “victimhood” alongside Ruby — was also taken into custody under the same suspicions.

According to the arrest record obtained by Page Six, an “emaciated” child with duct tape around their extremities escaped through a window of Hildebrandt’s house to seek food and water.

After authorities arrived, they deemed the child to be in “severe” condition and sent the victim to the hospital, where they were placed on a medical hold “due to deep lacerations from being tied up with rope.”

When officers went inside the home, they discovered another child in “a similar physical condition of malnourishment.”

The police report stated that Ruby had filmed a video in Hildebrandt’s home just days before the incident, indicating that the former had “knowledge of the abuse, malnourishment and neglect.”

Since then, four of the Franke children have been placed in the custody of the Department of Child and Family Services.

After the arrests made headlines, Kevin’s lawyer told Page Six on Thursday that his client’s “urgent focus is simply to keep his children together under his fatherly care.”

Many people close to Ruby have since come forward about the alleged abuse — including the couple’s oldest daughter, Shari.

Shari, who is estranged from her mother, reassured her followers that her siblings were doing OK and called the arrest “a big day” for their family.

From BBC News but has more details in the text.

Ruby Franke: '8 Passengers' parenting mum arrested on child abuse suspicion

Published

12 hours ago

Ruby Franke and Jodi Nan HildebrandtImage source, ConneXions YouTube channel
Image caption,
Ruby Franke (right) and Jodi Nan Hildebrandt (left) appeared in YouTube videos together
By Madeline Halpert
BBC News, New York

A Utah woman who ran a popular parenting advice YouTube channel is facing child abuse charges after her malnourished son escaped from home, officials said.

Ruby Franke and her business partner Jodi Nan Hildebrandt were arrested in Ivins, Utah this week.

Officials also found Ms Franke's 10-year-old daughter in a malnourished condition at her partner's house.

Both women were charged with six counts of child abuse on Friday.

The BBC has contacted Ms Franke and Ms Hildebrandt for comment.

Police say Ms Franke's 12-year-old son climbed out of the window and ran to a neighbour's house to ask for food and water.

"The calling party [the neighbour] stated the juvenile appeared to be emaciated and malnourished, with open wounds and duct tape around the extremities," according to a statement from the Santa-Clara Ivins Public Safety Department.

"Upon arrival, law enforcement observed the wounds and the malnourishment of [the boy] to be severe," the department said.

The boy had to be taken to the hospital "due to his deep lacerations from being tied up with rope and from his malnourishment".

Ms Franke's 10-year-old daughter was also taken to the hospital.

Officials later obtained a search warrant in connection with the incident, and in total, four children were taken into the care of family and child services, according to the statement.

On Friday, Washington County officials in Utah formally charged Ms Franke and Ms Hildebrandt.

The charges stem from the alleged abuse of two children in three different ways: physical abuse, malnutrition and severe emotional harm.

Each count carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years and a fine of up to $10,000 (£7,940), Washington County officials said.

Ms Franke, 41, became YouTube famous in 2015 for her channel called 8 Passengers that discussed parenting of her six children.

The channel gained over 2 million subscribers before it was deactivated earlier this year.

The vlogger has faced a backlash in the past for her strict parenting measures described on the channel, including her son claiming he slept on a bean bag for several months as punishment and Ms Franke describing withholding meals as another disciplinary measure.

The bean bag incident led some viewers to call local child protective services, though Ms Franke claimed to Insider the incident had been taken out of context.

She has also appeared in YouTube videos posted by Ms Hildebrandt - a counsellor and life coach - on her site, ConneXions Classroom.

In one such video posted on 10 May 2022, Ms Franke described herself as Ms Hildebrandt's "side-kick" and questioned why so many children were suffering from depression.

"I never expected my second-grader to come home and say so-and-so has anxiety and so-and-so has depression," she said. "Something is off. This isn't right."

In a second video - entitled "guiding children to truth" - Ms Hildebrandt called on mothers "to understand that principles are necessary" for children to have a "calm and peaceful" life.

According to a report in the Salt Lake Tribune, Ms Hildebrandt was put on probation for 18 months and nearly lost her licence to be a pornography-addiction therapist after publicly discussing a patient without his permission.

Ms Franke's eldest daughter Shari Franke shared a post on Instagram after her mother's arrest, saying that she and her family "are so glad justice is being served", US media reported.

"We've been trying to tell the police and CPS for years about this, and so glad they finally decided to step up," she reportedly said.

Ms Franke has requested an attorney and did not speak to officers, according to the Associated Press. That attorney had not publicly been identified on Thursday.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-66651506

[kittylady]

EXCLUSIVE: YouTuber mom Ruby Franke appears in court and turns on her children, making outrageous claims about their behavior and accusing THEM of sexual abuse

Ruby Franke was charged with six counts of felony child abuse after one of her sons was discovered with open wounds and duct tape on their limbs

The mother-of-six appeared in juvenile court Thursday via video call from jail for a shelter hearing for her four minor children

Franke made astonishing claims during the hearing that one of her minor children sexually abused one of their siblings

Mother-of-six Ruby Franke sobbed in court as she appeared for a shelter hearing for her four minor children to determine custody.

Speaking to the public courtroom Thursday, the Mormon mom at times broke down as she made shocking claims that one of her minor children sexually abused their sibling and molested several other family members and children in the neighborhood over the years.

The popular YouTuber was arrested along with her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt last month and charged with six counts of felony child abuse after one of her sons was discovered with open wounds and duct tape on their limbs.

Franke, 41, appeared via video from a Utah jail where she remains on a no bail hold at least until her next court appearance scheduled for Friday.

Franke's husband Kevin, wearing a dark suit, sat at the table with his attorney looking straight ahead as his wife made the sickening allegations

The court hearing presided over by Judge Suchada Bazzelle lasted just 30 minutes and inside was Franke's husband, Kevin, with his attorney Randy Kester. At another table were the State attorneys, and what appeared to be Franke's two oldest daughters appearing to be accompanied by an attorney as well.

Seeming to pin the blame for her behavior on her children, Franke went into horrific detail about how one of her six kids abused other children.

She claimed that one of the Franke kids began looking at pornography at just three-years old.

In one of the most shocking claims, Franke said said that her child had been sexually abusing a younger sibling for years, adding that eventually the two of them began to abuse other children.

She also claimed her two children played a 'patting' game with each other, but did not go into further detail.

Franke said that in May her child confessed to sexually abusing 20 people, including cousins and neighbors.

She provided no proof of her sickening allegations.

The court went eerily silent after Ruby made the disturbing claims.

The judge then said that her alleged abusive child 'will then need to be placed in a home with no other children.'

In a surprising courtroom move, an attorney who was sitting in the public viewing area stood up and asked the judge to hear details about the molestation of another child because a mother of one of the alleged victims was in the courtroom.

The judge denied the request, citing that details of the alleged abuse can be heard at a future time.

Outside of court DailyMail.com attempted to get a comment from the mother whose kid was allegedly molested by the Franke child, but they refused to speak.

Kevin Franke and his attorney Randy Keester left the courthouse about an hour later and gave no comment when asked if he believed his wife's shocking allegations.

Keester said, 'He's been instructed by the court not to comment to the press. Out of the respect for the children involved we have no comment.'

Judge Bazzelle set the next hearing for a September 15 mediation hearing and a September 18th pre-trial hearing.

The judge told Ruby Franke that if she's released from jail, she will need to attend the hearings in person and if not, they'll have to make accommodations for transportation.

Ruby Franke first rose to fame for her strict parenting style which blew up on YouTube and made her 'millions' of dollars, she claimed.

She racked up more than 2.2million subscribers for documenting their day-to-day endeavors on social media, along with husband Kevin.

The pair stopped uploading videos in January 2022 and the 8 Passengers page was taken down completely from the website earlier this year.

When asked why she left YouTube behind months later, she said she opted to stop uploading videos because she wanted to 'save her kids.'

In July, she was called out online after video surfaced of her allowing her daughter to go hungry after the young girl had forgotten to make her own lunch before school.

In a video posted to in 2020, Ruby said her daughter's teacher had texted her, telling her that the youngster didn't have anything to eat for lunch.

She said all her kids are responsible for preparing their own lunches in the morning, so she would not be dropping off any food for her daughter to teach her a lesson.

Franke said: 'My hope [is that] she will be hungry and come home and be like 'that was really painful being hungry all day I'll make sure to always have a lunch with me.''

'The natural outcome is that she is just going to have to go hungry.'

It was this parenting style that helped the woman to gain a massive following on YouTube and shine a spotlight on herself and her family.

After her arrest, one of Ruby's adult children spoke out on social media and shared that she was excited to see justice finally served to her mom.

In an Instagram story after her mom's arrest, Shari, 20, celebrated her mom's arrest and said she had been 'trying to tell the police and CPS for years about this.'

Shari also said that she is 'so glad they finally decided to step up' and that her siblings are safe, DailyMail.com reported.

The 20-year-old shared an image of police officers outside the family's Springville, Utah home along with the caption 'Finally.'


Daily Mail


I have no words.

[no1novice]

Not really believeable, in fact it sounds like more revisionist history to me.

Ruby Franke, husband Kevin had been separated for more than a year at time of child abuse arrest
By Francesca Bacardi
Published Sep. 14, 2023, 10:34 a.m. ET
Ruby Franke and her husband, Kevin, had been separated for 13 months at the time of her arrest for aggravated child abuse.

Kevin’s attorney, Randy Kester, told Law & Crime this week that the former couple had split over “a difference of opinion about their family parenting.”
Kester also claimed that Kevin was unable to see his children during that time and wasn’t even aware that Ruby had moved their children to Ivans, Utah, which is about four hours away from Salt Lake City.

The attorney also claimed that Ruby, 41, had been controlling Kevin, 44, “emotionally.”

“Because she knew how much he valued their marriage and valued their family, and it was his desire to be able to get back with the family and preserve his marriage,” Kester shared.

"Kevin never had any reason to believe that his children were being abused.”

When Page Six asked Kester weeks ago about the state of the Frankes’ marriage, he told us that he couldn’t comment on it as he wasn’t the disgraced “8 Passengers” host’s legal representation.

He did, however, confirm they were still legally married.

Kester didn’t return Page Six’s request for an updated comment.
pagesix.com/2023/09/14/ruby-franke-husband-kevin-separated-at-time-of-child-abuse-arrest/

Ruby Franke’s husband wanted daughter Shari charged with burglary after YouTuber’s arrest
By Francesca Bacardi
Published Oct. 16, 2023, 11:16 a.m. ET

Ruby Franke’s husband wanted their daughter to be charged with burglary following the YouTuber’s arrest for child abuse.

A September police report obtained by Fox News Digital Monday details Kevin Franke’s claims that the front door of his home had been “kicked in and damaged” and that some of his electronics were missing.

Kevin, 45, named his eldest daughter, Shari, 20, as a suspect in what he believed to be a burglary.

“Kevin stated that Shari is not allowed in the home, and that he believes she entered unlawfully, and he wants her charged with burglary,” a Utah police officer wrote of the Sept. 1 incident.

The Springville cop then informed Kevin, who later revealed he has been separated from Ruby, that authorities had busted into the estranged couple’s house upon obtaining a search warrant for the premises and were responsible for the damage.

Kevin “wanted to have his daughter charged with theft for taking some hard drives out of the house,” but the officer on the scene informed Kevin that Shari “wasn’t aware” she was not allowed to have them and offered to bring them back.

Shari returned three tablets, three cellphones, three cameras, a stack of written journals and three passports to the Springville Police Department, which in turn gave them to Kevin, according to the outlet.

Police informed Kevin that they would not be charging Shari with any crime.

In response, he allegedly threatened to sue the department.

Page Six has reached out for a copy of the police report.

Kevin’s attorney, Randy Kester, didn’t immediately return our request for comment.

pagesix.com/2023/10/16/ruby-frankes-husband-wanted-daughter-charged-with-burglary/

But, he didn't live there & didn't know that his supposedly-estranged wife had moved the family 4 hours from SLC but it's *his* shit that was stolen?

Is he going to go on to sell sea-front property in Arizona?
Does he think that we are all as stupid as he is? Fuck you Kevin for not protecting your kids.

[notoriousmkg]

I am con confused by this story. The oldest son is accused of something horrific - shouldn't he have been the one duct taped to a chair??? Duct taping the "victim" only makes them more vulnerable. Also, how is accusing the two oldest children of crimes supposed to obviate the charges of abusing the younger children?

[kittylady]

Oct 16, 2023 20:30:52 GMT notoriousmkg said:

I am con confused by this story. The oldest son is accused of something horrific - shouldn't he have been the one duct taped to a chair??? Duct taping the "victim" only makes them more vulnerable. Also, how is accusing the two oldest children of crimes supposed to obviate the charges of abusing the younger children?

I think it's more about who gains control over the younger children - the ones who can still have their indoctrination reinforced and who will sit there quietly while the successful adult sells interview after interview about their trauma to shitty news outlets.

[kittylady]

Ruby Franke: Parenting advice YouTuber given maximum sentence for child abuse


A Utah woman whose harsh parenting advice built her a massive YouTube following has been sentenced to four to 60 years in prison.

Ruby Franke, 42, previously pleaded guilty to accusations of starving and abusing her children.

She appeared in court on Tuesday along with her former business partner Jodi Hildebrandt, 54, who received an identical sentence.

The judge sentenced both to serve four terms of one to 15 years each.

The sentences will run consecutively and are the maximum for each count under Utah law. How much time each will ultimately serve will be determined by the state's parole board.

In court, Utah prosecutor Eric Clarke said that two of Franke's children lived in a "concentration camp-like setting" and called her a significant threat to the community.

"The children were regularly denied food, water, beds to sleep in, and virtually all forms of entertainment," Mr Clarke said.

In court, Franke apologized to her children and said: "I was so disoriented that I believed dark was light and right was wrong".

"I was led to believe that this world was an evil place, filled with cops who control, hospitals that injure, government agencies that brainwash, church leaders who lie and lust, husbands who refuse to protect and children who need abuse," she said.

The two women were arrested in August 2023 after Franke's malnourished 12-year-old son climbed out of a window at Hildebrandt's house in Ivins, Utah. Police said the child then ran to a neighbour's house and asked for food and water. He had lacerations from being tied up with rope, according to police records.

The arrests marked the end of a long and controversial YouTube career. Franke racked up more than two million subscribers to her channel 8 Passengers, which she started in 2015.

It was a boom time for parenting vloggers, and she told a local news outlet that filming with her family helped her "live in the present and just enjoy the kids".

Her videos showed a typical Mormon suburban family home-schooling, cooking, eating and chatting together.

But fans started to become suspicious in 2020, when one of her sons mentioned that he had been forced to sleep on a bean bag for seven months.

YouTube viewers combed through her archives and pointed out other disturbing and controversial methods used by Franke - such as withholding food, threatening to chop the head off of a toy stuffed animal and "cancelling" Christmas as a punishment.

A petition started by one demanding an investigation brought in thousands of signatures and Utah's child protection agency was called, although no legal action was taken at the time. Franke and her husband initially dismissed the criticism and said that some of their clips had been taken out of context.

But the channel began to decline in popularity and was deleted in 2022, the same year Franke and her husband separated.

Franke then began appearing in YouTube videos posted by Ms Hildebrandt - a counsellor and life coach - on her site, ConneXions Classroom.

Away from the camera, however, Franke's children were being subjected to even harsher abuse.

This included tying them up, beating and kicking them, neglecting to feed them and forcing them to work outdoors in the summer without sunscreen, resulting in serious sunburn, according to police records.

In a plea agreement, Hildebrandt stated that she either tortured the children or was aware of the abuse and that she forced one of Franke's daughters to "jump into a cactus multiple times".

Franke told her children that they were "evil and possessed" and needed to "repent".

Through his lawyer, Franke's ex-husband Kevin Franke asked prior to the hearing for the maximum sentence to be imposed and called the abuse suffered by his children "horrific and inhumane".

BBC News

[dilligaf]

Undertones of Lori Vallee psycho xian God infected mother who killed her own kids, because god told her to or some white woman defense

[no1novice]

Through his lawyer, Franke's ex-husband Kevin Franke asked prior to the hearing for the maximum sentence to be imposed and called the abuse suffered by his children "horrific and inhumane".

And this is the man that was married to her & did NOTHING while all this was going on?
He deserves to be sentenced as well imho.

[constancespry]

Isn’t the kid’s father complicit? If he lived in the same household, how could he have not been aware of any of the abuse. And if he was aware and did nothing to stop her, why is he not being charged?