A Utah woman, known for her popular parenting advice YouTube channel, is now facing child abuse charges after her emaciated son managed to escape their home. Ruby Franke and her business partner, Jodi Nan Hildebrandt, were arrested in Ivins, Utah, this week. Authorities also discovered Ms. Franke’s 10-year-old daughter in a malnourished state at Ms. Hildebrandt’s residence. Both women were charged with six counts of child abuse on Friday.
The Santa-Clara Ivins Public Safety Department stated that Ms. Franke’s 12-year-old son fled through a window to a neighbor’s house seeking food and water. The neighbor reported that the boy appeared severely malnourished, with open wounds and duct tape on his extremities. Law enforcement arrived and confirmed the boy’s dire condition, necessitating his hospitalization due to deep lacerations from being tied up and severe malnutrition. Ms. Franke’s 10-year-old daughter was also hospitalized.
In connection with the incident, officials obtained a search warrant, and a total of four children were placed under the care of family and child services.
On Friday, Washington County officials in Utah formally charged Ms. Franke and Ms. Hildebrandt with child abuse. These charges encompass physical abuse, malnutrition, and severe emotional harm to two children in three different ways. Each count carries a potential prison sentence of up to 10 years and a fine of up to $10,000 (£7,940), as stated by Washington County officials.
Ms. Franke, 41, gained fame on YouTube in 2015 with her channel, “8 Passengers,” which focused on parenting her six children. The channel amassed over 2 million subscribers before it was deactivated earlier this year. Ms. Franke had previously faced criticism for her strict parenting practices mentioned on the channel, including her son’s claim of sleeping on a bean bag as punishment and the description of withholding meals as a disciplinary measure. However, Ms. Franke argued that these incidents had been taken out of context.
She had also appeared in YouTube videos posted by Ms. Hildebrandt, a counselor and life coach, on her channel, “ConneXions Classroom.” In one video, Ms. Franke referred to herself as Ms. Hildebrandt’s “side-kick” and expressed concern about children suffering from depression. In another video, entitled “Guiding Children to truth,” Ms. Hildebrandt emphasized the importance of principles for children to have a calm and peaceful life.
According to reports, Ms. Hildebrandt had previously faced probation and the potential loss of her therapy license for discussing a patient publicly without consent.
After her mother’s arrest, Ms. Franke’s eldest daughter, Shari Franke, posted on Instagram expressing relief that justice was being served. She mentioned that her family had been trying to alert the authorities about the situation for years.
Ms. Franke has requested an attorney and has not spoken to officers, according to the Associated Press. As of Thursday, the attorney’s identity had not been publicly disclosed.
Source: BBC
