A famous mommy blogger known for her strict love approach to parenting, Ruby Franke, was arrested in August 2022 in Utah alongside her business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt, for child abuse.p
Franke pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse for abusing and starving two of her children during a hearing in St George, Utah, on Monday.
The maximum penalty for each count that Franke faces is 15 years and a maximum fine of $10,000. She will remain behind bars until her sentencing in February.
Police Bodycam Footage
Police bodycam footage obtained by ABC News shows cops swarming Franke’s home the day that she was taken into custody.
The footage captures cops with guns drawn, forcing their way in and looking through each room. It shows a large room downstairs and a garage full of objects. Video shows cops swarming Franke’s home the day she was taken into custody. The bodycam footage showed a large room downstairs.
Arrest and Charges
Police raided Franke’s home after one of her children, a 12-year-old boy, escaped from the house of her business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt, about four hours away in Ivins.
The boy appeared emaciated, had tape around his legs and was hungry and thirsty, a neighbour he escaped to could be heard saying in a phone call.
According to M10News, the boy was tied up by Hildebrandt, who appeared in a St George court with Franke. He was hospitalized to be treated for malnourishment and deep lacerations.
Cops who entered Franke’s home found another one of her kids similarly starving and took the victim to a nearby hospital. Four of Franke’s six children have been taken in by the state’s child protective services.
Business Partner
Franke’s business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt, was also arrested in August 2022. The boy who escaped from Hildebrandt’s house told police that Hildebrandt tied him up. Hildebrandt appeared in a St George court with Franke.
YouTube Channel
Franke became famous through her now-defunct YouTube account, 8 Passengers, where she shared a strict love approach to parenting.
Franke’s arrest and guilty plea have shocked many of her followers and the public. The police bodycam footage of her home and the details of the abuse suffered by her children are disturbing. Franke will remain behind bars until her sentencing in February.
