After discovering a malnourished youngster with open wounds and duct tape on their extremities, Ruby Franke, the Utah mother behind the now-defunct family YouTube channel 8 Passengers, was detained on child abuse charges on Wednesday, according to authorities.
Jodi Hildebrandt, Franke’s business partner, was also detained on the same allegations. They frequently work together to produce parenting and relationship guidance videos for Hildebrandt’s ConneXions life counseling service. ConneXions has previously come under fire for its parenting advice, which includes elevating the group’s “principles of truth” above a person’s kids.
A report of a young person in need of assistance was received by the Santa Clara-Ivins Public Safety Department at 10:50 on Wednesday morning, according to a news statement issued on Thursday.
This young person was described as being “emaciated & malnourished, with open wounds & duct tape around the extremities.”
The juvenile’s health was so bad, according to the news release, that Santa Clara-Ivins EMS had to see them and take them to a nearby hospital.
A kid was discovered in a similar state and sent to a nearby hospital for treatment after officers were directed to a nearby home by evidence, according to the release. Following a search of the house where the malnourished children were discovered, four minors were placed into the custody of the Department of Child and Family Services.
According to the announcement, Franke and Hildebrandt were subsequently detained in relation to the event. According to the Washington County Sheriff’s Department, the two remain in detention.
Through the 8 Passengers YouTube channel, which included her husband Kevin and six kids, Franke gained notoriety in 2015. Before it was shut down earlier this year, the channel had a subscriber base of about 2.3 million. Why the channel got taken off YouTube is unknown.
Some viewers have reported the Frankes to the authorities as a result of their harsh parenting style. According to Insider, in June 2020, several viewers contacted the parents’ local child protective services when their then-15-year-old son Chad claimed in a video that he had been sleeping on a beanbag for seven months. Ruby Franke claimed at the time that Chad’s “choice” of sleeping arrangements came after he was kicked out of the room he shared with his younger brother due to behavioral concerns.
In films where she refused to bring her then-6-year-old child lunch because he had forgotten to pack food and threatened to trash away her children’s cherished items, Ruby Franke also received criticism.
On Wednesday night, Shari Franke, the oldest child, wrote on her Instagram Story about her mother being arrested. Shari Franke, who had previously stated on social media that she was cut off from her family, published a photo of police officers along with the remark, “Finally.”
“Hello everyone,” Shari Franke wrote in another Instagram Story post. It’s been a tremendous day today. My family and I are ecstatic that justice is being carried out. We’ve been attempting to alert the police and CPS to this for years, and we’re grateful that they’ve now taken action.
Children are secure, but there is still a long path ahead, she added in her statement. Please remember them in your prayers and respect their need for privacy.
On Thursday, she also issued an appeal to her followers asking them to send her “any questionable or troubling ConneXions or 8Passengers videos.” Requests for a response from Shari Franke were not instantly answered.
The state of Utah defines severe child abuse as an act that “inflicts upon a child severe physical injury” or “causes or allows another to inflict severe harm upon a child.”