Former YouTuber Ruby Franke and her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt were arrested Wednesday (Aug. 30) on aggravated child abuse charges after local authorities found a malnourished child in “severe” condition.
According to Fox 13, arresting documents show that a child escaped through the window of a local residence that morning and went to a neighbor’s house seeking help.
A press release from the Santa Clara-Ivins Public Safety Department states the child asked the neighbor for food and water. The person who called the authorities stated the child “appeared to be emaciated and malnourished, with open wounds and duct tape around the extremities.” The child’s condition was described as “so severe” they were taken to a nearby hospital.
The press release also states that another child in “similar physical condition of malnourishment” was found at the residence. Four minors were taken from the residence by the Department of Child and Family Services.
Franke and Hildebrandt are currently in custody, according to the Washington County Sheriff’s Department.
Franke made her name on YouTube with the 8 Passengers YouTube channel, which she ran with her husband, Kevin Franke, that revolved around their family of eight. At its peak, the channel had about 2.5 million subscribers.
Ruby and Kevin Franke began facing accusations of child abuse from their viewers in the summer of 2020 when their child, Chad, shared in a video that he had been sleeping on a beanbag chair for seven months after playing pranks on his little brother.
The 8 Passengers channel has since been removed from YouTube. Most recently, Franke formed a new counseling channel with Hildebrandt called ConneXions that some believe is a “cult,” according to Insider. The outlet reports Franke and Hildebrandt made videos saying children didn’t deserve privacy and that “parents should not love their children unconditionally.”
Franke’s eldest daughter, Shari Franke, has since cut off contact with the family. She reportedly shared a photo of a police car on Wednesday on her Instagram story, writing, “Finally.”
“Today has been a big day,” she wrote in another post, per Insider. “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.”
In a post shared on Thursday to her Instagram story, Shari asked her followers to share “links to any questionable or concerning Connexions or 8passengers videos” with her.
In one final post to her Instagram story, she urged her followers to report the Connexions and Moms_of_truth account that Franke ran with Hildebrandt.
“Please report their Instagram accounts, and encourage EVERYBODY to unfollow them,” she wrote. “They do not deserve such a large audience.”
If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic abuse, help is available. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 800-799-7233, or text START to 88788.