Utah Woman Arrested for Child Abuse after Malnourished Son Escapes
A prominent Utah woman who ran a successful parenting advice YouTube channel has been arrested on suspicion of child abuse, according to officials. Ruby Franke, along with her business partner Jodi Nan Hildebrandt, were taken into custody in Ivins, Utah on Wednesday.
The arrest came after Franke’s malnourished 12-year-old son managed to escape from their home and seek help from a neighbor. The neighbor reported that the boy appeared emaciated and malnourished, with open wounds and duct tape around his extremities.
Law enforcement officers who responded to the call found the boy’s injuries to be severe. He had deep lacerations from being tied up with rope and was malnourished to a dangerous extent. The boy, along with Franke’s 10-year-old daughter, was immediately taken to the hospital for treatment.
Subsequently, a search warrant was obtained, and four children in total were taken into the care of family and child services, according to officials.
Ruby Franke, 41, gained popularity through her YouTube channel called 8 Passengers, where she discussed parenting her six children. The channel had over 2 million subscribers before it was deactivated earlier this year. Franke also appeared in YouTube videos with Hildebrandt on their counseling site, ConneXions Classroom.
However, Franke’s strict parenting measures, which she described on her YouTube channel, have faced backlash in the past. Some viewers raised concerns about her son claiming to have slept on a beanbag for several months as punishment, as well as Franke’s endorsement of withholding meals as a disciplinary measure.
The beanbag incident prompted viewers to report the situation to local child protective services. Franke claimed that the incident was taken out of context, but it continued to raise concerns about her parenting methods.
Following her mother’s arrest, Franke’s eldest daughter, Shari Franke, took to Instagram to express relief that justice was being served. She stated that she and her family had been trying to bring attention to the situation for years and were glad authorities finally stepped in.
Ruby Franke has requested legal representation and did not speak to officers at the time of her arrest. The attorney representing her has not been publicly identified as of Thursday. The BBC has reached out to Franke and Hildebrandt for comment, but no response has been received thus far.
The case remains ongoing as authorities investigate further to ensure the well-being of the children involved.