Prosecutors have formally charged a mother of six who gained notoriety as a YouTuber offering tough and sometimes controversial parenting advice, officials say.
Prosecutors charged Ruby Franke, host of the now-deleted YouTube channel “8 Passengers,” with six counts of felony child abuse in Washington County, Utah, ABC news reported. Neighbors found Franke’s 12-year-old son in an alleged malnourished state with open wounds and duct tape on his wrists and ankles, according to Fox 13.
“The condition of the juvenile was so severe that they were seen by Santa Clara-Ivins EMS and transported to a local area hospital,” the Santa Clara-Ivins Public Safety Department announced in a press release.
This audio is difficult to listen to.
This is portions of the 911 call that led to the arrests of Ruby Franke & Jodi Hildebrandt a week ago, obtained by @KSLInvestigates via public record request.
FULL REPORT: https://t.co/0ovYEumKyq pic.twitter.com/aYy5hlPxWy
— Daniella Rivera KSL (@DaniellaKSL) September 7, 2023
Authorities also found a 10-year-old girl inside the home who was also allegedly suffering from malnourishment, per the press release. Both children were reportedly under the “direct care” of Franke’s business partner Jodi Hildebrandt at the time of the incidents. Police also arrested Hildebrandt, and she is facing similar charges of felony child abuse, NBC News reported. (RELATED: REPORT: Mommy Blogger Ruby Franke Arrested After Allegedly Abused Child Climbed Out Of Window)
In all, four children were taken and placed into custody with Department of Child and Family Services, the press release noted.
On her now defunct YouTube channel, Franke often gave parenting advice that at times concerned her viewers. In 2020, some viewers launched a petition in an attempt to have Child Protective Services investigate Franke, ABC News reported.
“She was often giving parental advice, and most of it seemed to showcase how she decided to punish her children in ways that became increasingly alarming and very questionable,” YouTuber “Swoop” told the outlet.
Neighbors of the Franke’s told KSL News when the children would come over for playdates they would make comments about not being allowed to eat or drink while they were being punished. Though they suspected the children were being mistreated, they had no physical or concrete evidence of abuse. It was also understood by some that others in the community contacted authorities, according to KSL News.
Police records obtained by the outlet show law enforcement officials had been called to the home more than a dozen times over the past four and a half years, many of the visits related to the well-being of the children.
Franke and Hildebrandt are scheduled to appear in court Friday, ABC News reported.