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Cosmopolitan
4 days ago
- Cosmopolitan
Who is Ruby Franke? The true story of the abusive parenting influencer covered in harrowing Disney+ series
She was once a hugely popular parenting influencer who attracted over two million followers and numerous brand details. However, Ruby Franke's fame merely disguised abuse against her own children that has since been described as "horrific and inhumane". The 42-year-old gained a significant online following fronting her '8 Passengers' YouTube channel, where she shared parenting tips and general day-to-day life with her husband, Kevin, and their six children. The channel, launched in 2015, gained 2.3 million followers before it was shut down in 2023. Alongside business partner Jodi Hildebrandt, the pair admitted to four counts of aggravated child abuse. Franke was sentenced to four consecutive prison terms of 1 to 15 years. Now, a documentary on Disney+ details the horrors that the family were subjected to. The Utah native gained a significant following as a YouTuber, with 8 Passengers discussing life with her six children. Ruby and husband Kevin also discussed their faith as Mormons, and home-schooling. The channel courted controversy; Ruby was criticised by viewers after one video saw Ruby's eldest son reveal he slept on a beanbag for seven months as 'punishment' for teasing his brother. Ruby defended her actions at the time; in an interview with Insider, she claimed her son chose to sleep on a beanbag instead of an airbed. Her style of discipline came under further criticism after one video saw her threaten to throw away her children's toys, and for not giving them any privacy or personal space. The 8 Passengers channel has since been deleted and in a statement issued to TIME magazine, a spokesperson for YouTube wrote: 'We can confirm that we have terminated two channels linked to Ruby Franke in accordance with our creator responsibility guidelines. Additionally, Ruby Franke will no longer be able to use, own, or create any other YouTube channels, in accordance with the repeat infringer policy in our Terms of Service.' In August 2023, Ruby's 12-year-old son was staying with Ruby and her business partner, Jodi Hilderbrant. He managed to escape out a window and ran to a neighbour's house, before asking them to call the police. His appearance was described as thin, and was reportedly covered in wounds. He also had duct tape around his legs and wrists. He reportedly told officers that his wounds had been dressed with cayenne pepper. Ruby was arrested alongside Jodi, and both were charged with six felony counts of aggravated child abuse. In December, both pleaded guilty to four of the counts, with the plea deal accepted by prosecutors. Jodi was also charged alongside Ruby. The pair were friends and business partners, and had met at church (they were both Mormons). Having initially trained as a mental health counsellor, the 55-year-old's focus shifted onto her life-coaching programme ConneXions. After counselling the Frankes, who were having marital problems, Ruby started working alongside Jodi on an Instagram post called Moms of Truth. Jodi even briefly lived with the Frankes until early 2022. After that time, Ruby and her two youngest children moved to Jodi's Utah home. Jodi agreed to plead guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse in December 2023. After the plea deal, details emerged around the extent of Ruby's abusive behaviour towards her two youngest children. Ruby admitted assaulting her son by forcing him into hours of physical tasks and outdoor work between May and August without sufficient drinking water. The boy also suffered serious sunburns that resulted in blisters. He was forcibly isolated from others, given meagre food, and was not allowed access to books, games or electronics. After he tried to escape in June, he was regularly bound – on some occasions, even in handcuffs. Ruby also admitted to kicking her son while wearing boots, holding his head under water and smothering his mouth and nose with her hands Her youngest daughter was forced to work outside, run barefoot, and go without food and water. Ruby reportedly told her children that they were 'evil' and the punishments 'were necessary for them to be obedient and repent'. In Utah, aggravated child abuse is defined as an act that "inflicts upon a child serious physical injury" or "causes or permits another to inflict serious physical injury upon a child"– with each count carrying a sentence of up to 15 years. None of Ruby's children attended the sentencing, but she did address them with an emotional plea. "I'll never stop crying for hurting your tender souls," she said. "My willingness to sacrifice all for you was masterfully manipulated into something very ugly. I took from you all that was soft and safe and good. "For the past four years, I've chosen to follow counsel and guidance that has led me into a dark delusion. My distorted version of reality went largely unchecked as I would isolate from anyone who challenged me." Ruby added after sentencing: "It is important to me to demonstrate my remorse and regret without blame. I take full accountability for my choices, and it is my preference that I serve a prison sentence." Ruby is thought to now be pursuing a degree while serving her sentence at the Utah State Correctional Facility. Her first parole hearing will take place in December 2026. Meanwhile, Jodi said at her hearing: "One of the reasons I did not go to trial is because I did not want [the children] to emotionally relive the experience which would have been detrimental to them. My hope and prayer is that they will heal and move forward to have beautiful lives." Kevin, who filed for divorce from Ruby in December, has since distanced himself from his ex-wife. A lawyer for Kevin said the couple had been living separately for 13 months and Kevin Franke was "distraught" after hearing about the alleged abuse in an interview with Good Morning America. "No one's ever made any allegations that he's ever physically abused those kids, or anyone else," the attorney told the programme. The four younger siblings, aged between 11 and 17, were in care in 2014 according to a report in the Salt Lake Tribune. Kevin was reportedly granted custody of his children in March 2025, per People. Ruby's older daughter, Shari, has since spoken out about what life was like. The 22-year-old previously cut ties with her family in 2022. Upon news of Ruby's conviction, Shari wrote and then deleted an Instagram post which read "finally". In another post, she wrote: "Me and my family are so glad justice is being served." In January 2025, Shari released a book providing insight to life with Ruby. In The House of My Mother: A Daughter's Quest for Freedom, Shari recalls that Ruby was always tough on her and her siblings. "Anything less than unbridled enthusiasm would trigger Ruby into a rage," Shari writes, in an excerpt shown to The Guardian. "One hint of displeasure on my face, and whack! … But no matter how much I twisted and turned, no matter how much I achieved or accomplished, it would never be enough. There would always be some new hoop to jump through, some new standard to meet." Shari is now also campaigning against family vlogging and the potential impact on children. "I've witnessed the damage of what happens when your life is put online," Shari told People. "There's no ethical way to do it." Chad, 20, has also vocally criticised his mother. A report from Page Six suggested he was seen leaving the courtroom smiling after Ruby was sentenced. In August last year, he took to Snapchat, writing: "Happy Prisonversary" and sharing a picture of his mother before she was arrested. The docuseries Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke is available to watch now on Disney +. Kimberley Bond is a Multiplatform Writer for Harper's Bazaar, focusing on the arts, culture, careers and lifestyle. She previously worked as a Features Writer for Cosmopolitan UK, and has bylines at The Telegraph, The Independent and British Vogue among countless others.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
What happened to Ruby Franke? Disney+'s Devil in the Family explained
Sign up to Disney+ Ruby Franke is the subject of new Disney+ documentary Devil in the Family, which explores the crimes of the parenting influencer against her six children. The matriarch launched YouTube channel 8 Passengers in 2015, catapulting to fame during a boom in social media influencers sharing their family life online. She would post five days a week at one point and amassed 2.5m subscribers at the channel's height as well as 1bn views. Franke's videos sparked widespread concern over the strict treatment she would enforce, but it was only later that the true extent of the abuse she subjected her children to was revealed. Franke would document aspects of her family life in YouTube videos, some of which were disturbing for viewers. In one video she told her sons they would "lose the privilege to eat dinner" if they continued to play-fight with each other, for example. In another video she claimed her six-year-old daughter "needed" to go hungry because she forgot to take her lunch to school. Other abusive behaviour included making her children stand or sleep outdoors, making them work outdoors without proper protection which resulted in sunburns, and making them do wall sits. She also shaved one of her daughter's heads, and would even withhold food, water or oxygen from them. Franke's teenage son once revealed in a video that he was sleeping on a beanbag after his bedroom was taken away from him for seven months because he had played pranks on his sibling. In June 2022 Franke and Hildebrandt, her business partner and counsellor, launched a YouTube channel called ConneXions where they gave advice to other parents. Franke and her husband Kevin separated in 2022, and he later called for Franke to be given the maximum possible sentence for the abuse she inflicted on their children. He filed for divorce in November 2023. In August 2023 Franke's 12-year-old son knocked on a neighbour's door asking for food and water, he was covered in open wounds and had been found with duct tape still on his ankles. Police later confirmed that he had escaped his home by climbing out of a window and running to a nearby house for help. An arrest report showed that the boy suffered malnourishment and had "deep lacerations from being tied up with rope". Police found Franke's ten-year-old daughter in the family home, she was also malnourished and both were taken to hospital. This prompted Franke to be arrested, her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt was also arrested. In total four children were put into care when Franke was taken into custody. Franke was charged with six counts of aggravated child abuse, and ultimately pleaded guilty to four of those counts. Hildebrant also pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse. In February 2024 Franke and Hildebrandt were sentenced, with the former vlogger sentenced to serve one to 15 years for each of the four counts of abuse she pled guilty to — in Utah if a person is given consecutive sentences then the maximum prison sentence served is 30 years. This means that she will serve between four and 30 years in prison. Hildebrandt was sentenced to four consecutive terms of one to 15 years in prison for each count of aggravated child abuse, she will similarly serve between four and 30 years in prison as a result. During her sentencing, Franke told the court: "I was so disoriented that I believed dark was light and right was wrong." Franke's eldest daughter Shari has written a memoir of her experience, The House of My Mother: A Daughter's Quest for Freedom. In it she discusses her and her siblings' experience of abuse at the hands of their mother. Shari was included significantly on the family YouTube channel and has explained that she has since realised she was "coerced" into sharing embarasing and intimate details about her life online. She also explained that when she went to college Franke cut all ties with her daughter, leaving her in fear of her siblings' safety which led to her calling family services to assist. Speaking to People in January 2025, she said: "Part of me feels guilty if I don't forgive. But I've come to realize that forgiveness for me just means that I don't let her actions consume my thoughts. "I'm still angry about what she did, of course, and that's never going to go away, but I am living my life and I am not letting her take any more of that from me than she's already taken." Franke's four youngest children have since been taken into custody by the Division of Child and Family Services, and will "remain in professional care for the aggravated psychological and emotional injuries suffered." Kevin Franke filed for custody for his children, the case is ongoing. Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke is out on Disney+ now. If you feel you have been the subject of child abuse you can contact Childline on 0800 1111 or via 1-2-1 chat on You can contact the NSPCC Helpline by calling 0808 800 5000, emailing help@
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Yahoo
Where is Ruby Franke now?
It has been just over a year since disgraced YouTuber Ruby Franke went to prison after pleading guilty to four felony counts of aggravated child abuse. The former mom influencer, 43, who ran the once-popular '8 Passengers' YouTube channel, was sentenced in February 2024 to between four and 30 years in prison after she was charged with abusing two of her six children. Franke's associate, mental health counselor Jodi Hildebrandt, 55, was also sentenced to between four and 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to four counts of child abuse. A new Hulu documentary, 'Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke,' takes a fresh look at Franke and Hildebrandt's story. The three-part docuseries includes interviews with Franke's eldest children, Shari and Chad, and her husband, Kevin, who filed for divorce in 2023. At first glance, '8 Passengers,' which launched in 2015, appeared to be a wholesome, family-focused vlog documenting the busy life of Franke, her husband Kevin, and their six kids. As the years went on, however, some followers voiced concerns about the parenting techniques on display in Franke's '8 Passengers' videos, such as when she revealed she punished her kids by withholding food, forced them to do push-ups, or made them miss school to clean the house. Hildebrandt ran a life-coaching business called ConneXions, which focused on 'empowering people by educating them with the principles of Truth' and helping them 'dispose of distortion's ugly lies,' according to the still-active ConneXions website. Hildebrandt focused on counseling Mormon couples and families, NBC News reported. In January 2012, Hildebrandt's license to practice as a counselor in Utah was placed on probation for 18 months for a series of violations. According to Utah Division of Professional Licensing documents reviewed by Jodi repeatedly disclosed 'sensitive private information' about her clients to their church clergy and other mental health therapists, without their consent. Her license was reinstated in 2013. The two women were charged with of 'causing or permitting serious physical injury to the victims in three different ways: (1) a combination of multiple physical injuries or torture, (2) starvation or malnutrition that jeopardizes life, and (3) causing severe emotional harm,' the Office of the Washington County Attorney said in a news release on Sept. 1, 2023. Both pled guilty in court. Keep reading to learn more about where Franke and Hildebrandt are now, and when the length of their prison sentences will be decided. Franke is incarcerated at the Utah State Correctional Facility in Salt Lake City, Utah. The facility, which began operating in 2022, is spread across 200 acres and includes 3,600 beds, according to the prison's website. Franke and Hildebrandt are housed in different sections of the prison's Dell housing unit, which is the facility's only unit for women and currently houses 367 female inmates, Karen Tapahe, public information officer for the Utah Department of Corrections, told in an email. Although Franke and Hildebrandt are housed separately, 'it is possible they could see each other at various times,' such as during gym time, classes, or other types of programming, Tapahe said. On Feb. 20, 2024, Franke was sentenced to four one- to 15-year consecutive prison terms after pleading guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse, a second-degree felony. When asked how she pleaded to the fourth charge, the former 'momfluencer' appeared to grow emotional and said, 'With my deepest regret and sorrow for my family and my children, guilty,' as seen in a video of her sentencing shared by the Associated Press. The maximum combined sentence for consecutive prison terms is 30 years in Utah, according to NBC News. This means that Franke could spend anywhere between four and 30 years in prison. The Utah Board of Pardons and Parole will determine the length of Franke's sentence in a hearing currently scheduled for sometime in December 2026. Prior to this hearing, Franke is expected to undergo a mental health review and is expected to participate in cognitive behavioral therapy, according to a July 2024 scheduling document from the board. Franke was arrested on Aug. 30, 2023, after the Santa Clara-Ivins Public Safety Department received a dispatch call regarding a 'juvenile asking for help.' The child 'appeared to be emaciated and malnourished' and had 'open wounds and duct tape around the extremities,' according to a press release from the public safety department. Officers searched a nearby home and found another child 'in a similar condition of malnourishment,' according to the release. Ultimately, four children were taken into the care of the Department of Child and Family Services, and Franke and Hildebrandt were arrested, according to the release. In both Franke and Hildebrandt's sentencing hearings, county prosecutor Eric Clarke said in his opening statements that Franke's children had endured a 'concentration-camp like setting.' 'The children were regularly denied food, water, beds to sleep in and virtually all forms of entertainment,' he said. He said outside the courtroom that the case involving Franke and Hildebrandt was the most extreme he had seen in his career. 'This is one of the worst child abuse cases we've ever seen,' he said. This article was originally published on
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Yahoo
Who Is Ruby Franke and What Did She Do?
All products featured on Glamour are independently selected by Glamour editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, Condé Nast may earn an affiliate commission. Ron Chaffin Who is Ruby Franke, the woman at the center of Hulu's new docuseries, Devil In the Family? Before you hit play, here's what you need to know about the Franke family's story—from their YouTube channel 8Passengers to all that came after it. Here are the basics of the story you should know. Trigger warning: child abuse. Franke, a Mormon mother of six, launched a YouTube channel called 8 Passengers in 2015, documenting life in a family of eight along with her husband, Kevin. As the channel grew past two million subscribers, the parents came under more scrutiny for sharing intimate details about their children's lives and their strict, some would say severe, punishments for misbehavior. In 2021, Utah Child Protective Services visited the family home after receiving a complaint of neglect, but didn't file any charges, per Forbes. At some point, the Frankes enlisted the help of Mormon therapist Jodi Hildebrandt for an issue with their son Chad, but the relationship soon became very intense, with Hildebrandt moving into the family home in 2021, counseling all of the children, and pushing Kevin out of the house. Hildebrandt ran a counseling business called ConneXions, and Ruby Franke began training in the program. Early examples of the ConneXions style of 'parenting,' which were documented online, included withholding meals and making a child sleep on a bean bag chair instead of a bed for months. However, what wasn't filmed was much more horrific. By the time of the rescue, the oldest Franke children had already left the house, but the four remaining kids were all found malnourished and reported brutal conditions meant to 'exorcise' them of demons. Per Time, one child recalled being forced to stand in the hot sun, tied to weights, forced to jump on a trampoline, and forced to run through the desert. Their resulting injuries were treated with ineffective at-home remedies. In August 2023, the Frankes' twelve-year-old son escaped from a window in Hildebrandt's house and ran to a neighbor for help. The neighbor, noticing that the boy was malnourished and injured, called the authorities. The boy went to the hospital while the police searched the house, per E! Franke and Hildebrandt were both arrested, and both have since pleaded guilty to child abuse. The four younger children are in the custody of the Utah Division of Child and Family Services. Kevin is seeking custody, per People, and is working on repairing the family's relationships. Chad Franke is a realtor and Shari published a memoir about her experiences. Here's more about where the Franke kids are now. All products featured on Glamour are independently selected by Glamour editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, Condé Nast may earn an affiliate commission. News Where Are the Franke Kids Now? The Oldest Speak Out in Hulu's New Docuseries, *Devil in the Family* Ruby Franke was arrested in 2023 on charges of child abuse. All three episodes of Devil in the Family are now streaming on Hulu. Originally Appeared on Glamour
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Unpacking the Child Abuse Case Against YouTube Influencer Ruby Franke
Originally appeared on E! Online Since was sentenced to serve between four and 30 years in prison for aggravated child abuse, her estranged husband Kevin Franke and her own journals have shed light on what was going on behind closed doors leading up to her arrest in August 2023. Behind closed doors and—according to many who watched her videos—in plain sight on her 8 Passengers YouTube channel. The case is now being unpacked in the new Hulu docuseries Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke, featuring the first on-camera interviews with Kevin and their eldest children, Shari Franke and Chad Franke. "One of the things that's been so frustrating for me has been feeling silenced or muzzled—not being able to speak and having people make assumptions that just aren't accurate," Kevin, who has filed for divorce from Ruby, said in the series. 'This is my ability to take control of my own story and speak it in my own words.' He told police after his wife was arrested, per an interview released by prosecutors, that Ruby got ensnared in a religious "cult" under the guidance of ConneXions founder Jodi Hildebrandt, who like Ruby pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse in December 2023. "My impression at that time was this is absolute craziness," he said, describing his impression from the early stages of Ruby's association with Jodi. "This is a bunch of man-hating women that are just looking for excuses to tear down their husbands."More from E! Online Elon Musk Welcomes Baby No. 4 With Shivon Zilis, His 14th Child Gene Hackman Death Case: Pills Found by Wife Betsy Arakawa's Body Identified Declassified Jeffrey Epstein Files Released: Celebrities Named in His Contact Book He went along for awhile to please Ruby, he said, but ultimately decided he needed to move on with his life. There was a period of "in-home separation," Kevin said—but according to his lawyer he moved out of their Utah home more than a year before Ruby and Jodi were arrested. During her Feb. 20, 2024, sentencing hearing, Ruby said she had "chosen to follow counsel and guidance" that led her "into a dark delusion." She continued, "My distorted version of reality went largely unchecked as I would isolate from anyone who challenged me." To her children, she added, "I would do anything in this world for you. I took from you all that was soft and safe, and good." When Ruby and Kevin first moved into their Springville, Utah, home with their six kids, "they were fine at first," a neighbor who requested anonymity told the Salt Lake Tribune in 2023. "I mean, as normal as you can be if you're famous YouTubers." But in August of 2022, the neighbor said, Kevin had moved out and she started to notice the four youngest kids seemingly being left alone "for days to weeks at a time." So, the neighbor continued, she contacted the Utah Division of Child and Family Services and spoke to them at least twice. She had never seen the kids harmed, she explained to the Tribune (which noted there was documentation of her interaction with the agency), but was worried they were being neglected. The four minor children were placed in the care of DCFS after Ruby's August arrest, according to the Santa Clara-Ivins Public Safety Department. The disturbing series of events that ended with Ruby and Jodi in prison captivated the usual let's-try-this-case-right-now crowd on social media, and countless hours of videos and podcasts had already been devoted to the pair by the time they entered their guilty pleas: With the built-in hook of having six adorable kids, Ruby and Kevin added their Utah family to the vast mix of day-in-the-life domestic content on YouTube when they started 8 Passengers in early 2015. They relayed that they were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and introduced the world to Shari, Chad, Abby, Julie, Russell and Eve (who are now between the ages of 20 and 10). Before the Frankes' channel was taken down, it had amassed more than 2.3 million subscribers. According to Kevin's attorney, the kids' father—who has not been charged with any offense—was absolutely shocked by the allegations against his estranged wife. He and Ruby had been living apart for 13 months before her arrest, an arrangement that was not his choice, lawyer Randy Kester explained to "He wanted to work through concerns as a family," Kester said. "There was never any formal, written decree of separate maintenance or separation agreement. The separation was under terms proscribed by Ruby and Jodi Hildebrandt." On Law & Crime's Sidebar podcast, Kestler said that Kevin was a "good dad" who had never abused his kids in any way, nor had he ever been accused of abuse. "He's getting raked over the coals by all of this," the lawyer said, "when in fact, he himself was to some degree a victim of these psychological and mental manipulations that were perpetrated against him and his family by Jodi."Jodi is the founder of ConneXions, which according to her website offers training "built on principles of Honesty, Responsibility, and Humility" to help people empower themselves and repair their relationships with others. She has also hosted a podcast of the same name since November 2022. In her ConneXions Classroom bio, Jodi describes her counseling style as "compassionate yet direct and clear." Ruby's Instagram account Moms of Truth—which has 329,000 followers—was devoted to snaps of her family but since June 28, 2022, the page has been devoted to ConneXions content, including videos of she and Jodi together talking about various tenets of the program. That same month, Ruby segued from 8 Passengers to Jodi's ConneXions channel, which has also been taken down. (YouTube confirmed to NBC News it had removed both channels "in accordance with our creator responsibility guidelines.") Jodi has agreed to a freeze of her mental health counseling license, the Utah Division of Professional Licensing telling NBC affiliate KSLTV on Sept. 19, "Since her arrest, DOPL, along with the Utah Attorney General's Office, has been working with Hildebrandt's lawyer to secure the voluntary surrender of her professional license with limitations, ensuring that she cannot practice if released" from jail. The agreement, obtained by People, making the freeze official noted that Jodi "does not herein admit any wrongdoing." In a June 2020 video, Ruby and Kevin acknowledged the backlash after then-15-year-old Chad shared on 8 Passengers that he'd had his bedroom taken away for seven months and was sleeping on a beanbag, punishment for pranking his little brother. When he got his room back, Ruby told Insider at the time, "He had done a bedroom reveal where he was excited that he put LED lights up in his bedroom and he was hanging puzzles on his wall that he had put together and glued. It never occurred to him that it would turn on us." A petition posted by a concerned critic demanded authorities get involved, and Utah's Division of Child and Family Services did respond. Social workers were at their house for about two hours and talked to each of their kids, Kevin told Insider. "When they walked in unannounced," Kevin said, "Eve and Ruby were baking bread together and doing a puzzle. Hardly the evidence of an abusive home." According to Insider, a letter from DCFS confirmed the investigation was closed without further action because claims of abuse were unsupported. "My kids are so strong," Ruby told the outlet. "They are amazing. And they have come together and have even prayed for our enemies. These people who are hating on us, they pray that they will feel the love that they are searching for." Other clips that have been resurfaced since Ruby's arrest highlight the approach to discipline that had fellow YouTubers devoting their platforms to analyzing the Frankes. In one clip Ruby warned her younger son that he was "going to lose the privilege to eat dinner" for roughhousing with his big brother. In another much-circulated video, she talked about her decision to not bring her then-6-year-old daughter her school lunch even though the child's teacher was "'uncomfortable with her being hungry and not having a lunch," because it had been her daughter's responsibility to pack the food and bring it with said in another excerpted clip, "My kids are not welcome to come live with me after they're 18. I am very straightforward about that." And there is an 8 Passengers video, now posted to TikTok, in which Ruby said that her two youngest children had been "displaying long patterns of selfishness" and she and Kevin would be giving "the gift of truth to them this year for Christmas." The kids were told they'd be receiving "boundaries" and "repentance" for the holidays, Ruby said, instead of a visit from Santa. Shari Franke, Ruby and Kevin's now-21-year-old eldest child, called police on Sept. 18, 2022, to request a welfare check on her younger siblings, according to police records obtained by who gathered outside when police came to the house that day told officers, per their report, that they "were very concerned about the children and them being left at home alone." Police stated in the report that they could see kids inside but no one answered the door, after which they returned to the house on Sept. 22, 23, 26 and Oct. 3 to assist DCSF. DCFS confirmed its involvement in the Franke case earlier this month, but wouldn't comment on past visits. "In order to protect the integrity of the necessary working relationships with those we serve, and to respect the privacy of children and families," the agency said in a statement, "DCFS will continue its practice and refrain from sharing specific information on a case, past or present." In a Sept. 19 statement, per the Salt Lake Tribune, DCFS said that every referral the agency gets goes through a screening process and every referral was "handled individually to support the unique facts to each case based on information provided." While an investigation into "non-supervision" fell under the category of neglect, the agency explained, an investigation was only opened "when the information reported includes a description of a specific occurrence or allegation that a child is subjected to accidental harm, or an unreasonable risk of accidental harm." On Aug. 30, 2023, Ruby's 12-year-old son crawled out of a window of Jodi's home and ran to a neighbor's house, where he asked for food and water, according to details in a probable cause affidavit obtained by NBC News and a press release from the Santa Clara-Ivins Public Safety Department. The SCIPSD said its dispatch center received a call at around 10:50 a.m. about a juvenile who "appeared to be emaciated and malnourished, with open wounds and duct tape around the extremities." His condition was "so severe," he was transported to an area hospital. At the house the child ran from, police found his 10-year-old sister in a similar state of malnourishment and she too was taken to the hospital, according to the affidavit. The SCIPSD said that a search warrant executed at the house turned up evidence "consistent with the markings found" on the boy. Ruby and Jodi were subsequently arrested at the latter's home in Ivins, Utah, and have been in custody ever since. They were charged Sept. 5 with six counts apiece of felony child abuse, each count carrying a one-to-15-year prison sentence and a maximum $10,000 fine. "There are two juvenile victims in these cases," the Washington County Attorney's Office explained in an email to NBC News, "and each defendant is accused of causing or permitting serious physical injury to the victims in three different ways: (1) a combination of multiple physical injuries or torture, (2) starvation or malnutrition that jeopardizes life, and (3) causing severe emotional harm." According to KSLTV, police wrote in a booking affidavit that, upon being arrested, "Ms. Hildebrandt requested a lawyer and did not speak with us. Once given her charges, Ms. Hildebrandt informed me [that the children] should never be allowed around any other kids." "Finally," Shari Franke posted to Instagram Story after her mother's arrest. In another post she added, "Today has been a big day. Me and my family are so glad justice is being served. We've been trying to tell the police and CPS for years about this, and so glad they finally decided to step up. Kids are safe, but there's a long road ahead. Please keep them in your prayers and also respect their privacy." Shari, who has 471,000 subscribers to her own YouTube channel, is a junior at Brigham Young University studying political science and statistics, according to her Instagram bio. In a statement posted to their Instagram accounts Aug. 31, Ruby's sisters Bonnie Hoellein, Julie Deru and Ellie Mecham—all of whom have followings as family-themed influencers—said they'd "kept quiet" about the mother of six "for the sake of her children." Behind the scenes, they continued, "we have done everything to try and make sure the kids were was arrested which needed to happen. Jodi was arrested which needed to happen. The kids are now safe, which is the number one priority."In a Sept. 13 YouTube video, Bonnie said Ruby and Kevin "cut our family off" years ago, so she had no idea of what was allegedly going on. Julie said in a video she posted the same day that she "literally had no contact" with Ruby, adding, "She wouldn't respond to any texts or emails." Bonnie continued, "The more I learn, my feelings are turning more to anger. I am mad. I am mad at what has happened. I am beyond disgusted and I feel like it makes me tremble. It makes me tremble because this is unheard of. It is truly unbelievable." She also said in her video that it was Kevin's "job to check in on things and he did not." Asked about Bonnie's allegation that the father of six had failed to protect his kids, Kevin's attorney told that his client was "more interested in reaching out to his children, family, and friends to heal the past trauma and events" than debating his sister-in-law. "He is focused on doing what is best for his kids at this point, even if that means undergoing some introspection," the lawyer continued. "None of that process, however, is going to be creating more distance between him and his family, including his extended family. He wishes Bonnie and her family well as we all travel down this path of healing." As for Ruby and Jodi, they both pleaded guilty to four felony counts of second-degree aggravated child abuse in December and were sentenced to four consecutive one- to 15-year sentences Feb. 20. According to NBC News, Ruby's exact time behind bars will be determined by the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole, but she appeared ready to accept her punishment. "I am humbled and willing to serve a prison sentence," Franke told Judge John Walton during her court appearance. "I understand this is going to take time." Read on for more chilling details from the Ruby Franke child abuse case: Aug. 30, 2023: Children Found MalnourishedAug. 30, 2023: ArrestAug. 31, 2023: Ruby's Daughter Speaks OutAug. 31, 2023: Ruby's Sisters React to ArrestSept. 6, 2023: Charges FiledSept. 6, 2023: Kevin Franke Breaks SilenceNov. 29, 2023: Kevin Files for DivorceDec. 18: Guilty PleasFeb. 20, 2024: Prison SentencingFeb. 20, 2024: Ruby ApologizesMarch 25, 2024: Ruby's Diary RevealedMarch 25, 2024: Kevin's Interview With Authorities Becomes PublicE! and NBC News are both members of the NBCUniversal family. (This story was originally published on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, at 5 a.m. PT.)
