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Content warning: This story discusses child abuse.

Ruby Franke’s children are expressing themselves more loudly, as she remains incarcerated due to allegations of child abuse.

At a committee hearing in Utah on February 18, Kevin Franke, the father, read out statements from the controversial YouTuber’s daughters (aged 11 and 16) that criticized her past actions.

At the gathering, a law was enacted to offer additional safeguards for children of influential personalities. This law mandates content creators earning over $150,000 from content involving their kids to deposit a portion of their earnings into a trust fund.

In simpler terms, Ruby’s 16-year-old daughter expressed in her statement that, as children, we often don’t understand the impact of our experiences. We’re essentially trading our lives, privacy, body, and personal stories to everyone globally. Unfortunately, as minors, we’re not consciously making this choice but giving up these aspects of ourselves involuntarily. In essence, we’re selling our childhoods unwittingly. (The Salt Lake Tribune)

If the law had been enacted while Ruby was still producing videos under her 8 Passengers channel, she stated that her mother wouldn’t have been permitted to access all the savings she had earned from YouTube.

Despite no amount of compensation able to replace that loss, the teen suggested that at least now, efforts should be made to ensure the child is compensated for her work and holds the power to withdraw it or leave whenever she desires.

Her younger sister expressed a similar feeling, stating that appearing on Ruby’s parenting vlogs had an adverse effect on her own childhood experience.

The girl expressed, “Though I appeared ‘happy,’ it wasn’t truly how I felt. I put in a lot of effort to earn that money. In front of the camera, I pretended to be someone else, but I got paid for it. However, deep down, I feel like my mom exploited me for money.

She added that she is now “stuck with the trauma of YouTube.”

As I stand here, speaking to you, I find myself struggling to form connections, for throughout my young life, the spotlight was always mine. Now, unbeknownst to myself, I unconsciously crave that same attention from others, or I’m left with a sense of unease, questioning if they truly appreciate me.

Ruby and her business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt, are both facing four successive sentences ranging from one to 15 years each – which equates to a total of four to 60 years in prison. However, their maximum imprisonment term is limited to thirty years according to the laws of Utah, for the charges of aggravated child abuse they have been convicted of.

In 2023, two individuals were taken into custody following an incident where one of Ruby’s sons managed to flee from Jodi’s home and sought help at a nearby neighbor’s house, reporting hunger and thirst. Upon their arrival, law enforcement officers found the boy in a severely undernourished condition with wounds and limbs bound by duct tape. A search of Jodi’s residence later revealed another one of Ruby’s children in a similar state of malnutrition, as reported by police.

Ruby and Jodi admitted to the accusations against them regarding child abuse, as they provide life coaching services via their ConneXions platform.

In the year 2024, following her imprisonment, Ruby expressed heartfelt remorse for the skewed perception of truth she maintained, which often went unquestioned due to her tendency to distance herself from those who contradicted her beliefs.

In her sentencing, she stated, “My dears, you’re an extension of myself. I once saw darkness as light and wrong as right, but now I see the truth. I would move mountains for you. Sadly, I took away from you everything tender, secure, and virtuous.

To learn more about Ruby’s case, keep reading.

In a public statement, authorities in Utah disclosed that they had responded to a report of a malnourished child. Upon arrival, the child was visibly underweight, showing signs of starvation and having open wounds as well as tape bindings on their limbs. The child was urgently transported to the hospital in critical condition.

In the course of events that subsequently unfolded, I was recognized as the 12-year-old son of YouTube personality Ruby Franke, as reported by NBC News based on a probable cause affidavit. According to this document, I had been at the residence of Ruby’s business partner, Jodi Hildebrant. In a bid to escape, I climbed out of a window and sought help from a neighboring house.

Later on, police investigated a nearby residence, where they discovered another child in a similarly distressing state of undernourishment. This child too needed to be hospitalized, as reported in the press statement.

Officials subsequently disclosed that they found Ruby’s nine-year-old child, visibly frightened, seated alone inside a vacant wardrobe in Jodi’s residence, according to documents shared by the Washington County Attorney’s Office.

In Utah, Ruby was detained for severe child abuse allegations, and Jodi, who founded a life coaching service named ConneXions in 2007, is also involved. This business, as reported by NBC News, was likened to a cult by former clients, with practices reminiscent of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

On August 31st, as per TopMob’s report, Shari Franke, Ruby’s grown-up daughter who is currently estranged from her, expressed her reaction to the news via her Instagram Story.

Shari, born in 2003, expressed her relief that justice is being served. For years, she and her family have been trying to bring their concerns to the police and Child Protection Services, and they’re grateful that action has finally been taken. The children are now safe, but there is a long road of recovery ahead.

Besides Ruby, her siblings Ellie Mecham, Bonnie Hoellein, and Julie Deru also voiced their opinions, asserting that the YouTuber’s detention was indeed necessary.

They’ve remained silent about Ruby Franke for the past 3 years, prioritizing her children’s well-being in private. In their daily posts, they felt it was necessary to first acknowledge the latest developments. After doing so, they won’t provide any additional comments on the matter.

The siblings said Ruby’s kids are “now safe, which is the number one priority.”

Previously known as the hosts of the YouTube channel ‘8 Passengers’, the woman and her co-host, Jodi, have both been officially accused of six counts of felony child abuse by the District Attorney’s office in Utah’s Washington County.

Ruby’s husband, Kevin Franke, publicly declared his innocence regarding the alleged crimes she’s accused of. In fact, their lawyer, Randy Kester, mentioned to Good Morning America that they had been separated for 13 months prior to her arrest.

The lawyer stated, “He’s truly kind-hearted and very mild-mannered.” Furthermore, it’s important to note that there have been no accusations of him physically harming the children or anyone else.

As reported by NBC News after obtaining a domestic relations injunction, Kevin has formally initiated divorce proceedings with the Utah-based influencer.

According to TopMob’s announcement on December 18th, it was confirmed that Ruby had admitted guilt for four of the charges against her. As reported by the Associated Press, she expressed her deepest remorse for her family and children at the time, stating “guilty”.

Jodi would also plead guilty to four counts of second-degree felony aggravated child abuse.

The two females received concurrent prison terms of one to fifteen years each, with a maximum sentence duration of thirty years in Utah.

The parent vlogger apologized during her sentencing to her six kids and estranged husband.

Over the last four years, I’ve been guided by advice that steered me into a profound misunderstanding or false belief system, she admitted in court. This misguided perspective of mine was seldom questioned as I avoided interactions with people who dared to contradict me.

She added, “My dears, you are an extension of myself. In the past, I confused darkness with lightness and wrongness with rightness. For you, I would sacrifice everything in this world. Unfortunately, I stripped away all that was tender, secure, and virtuous from you.

Authorities made public her chilling diary notes, where she detailed the harsh treatment of her kids, mentioning her “Satan-worshipping” 12-year-old boy specifically.

She wrote in a journal entry dated July 10, 2023 (her son’s 12th birthday), “He secretly moves about, seeking chances when everyone is unaware, then swiftly darts away.” Regarding imitating the savior, she emphasized, “He must be utterly obedient and precise. There should be no hesitation or concealment whatsoever.

She wrote about punishing her children by beating them and withholding food and water.

Investigators’ conversation with Kevin, recorded after Ruby’s arrest, was made public by the prosecution. In this recording, Kevin discussed the supposed limitations he experienced within their shared household.

Kevin explained in an audio recording from TopMob, “Now I have these restrictions, such as I can leave whenever I like, but I’m not allowed to return until Ruby allows it. I wasn’t even permitted to eat in the kitchen unless Ruby gave me permission. The upstairs, where Jodi was, was off-limits entirely. I couldn’t enter my own home anymore, and Ruby decided all the conditions for our interactions, when we could talk, which made things difficult.

2025-02-22 04:17

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