:quality(85)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/infobae/GGVQM7WOPVG3RPYFUKVBCR4PUI.jpg "A YouTuber who became famous for her motherhood advice was found guilty of mistreating her children")
YouTube content creator Ruby Franke, 41, pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse after her capture in late August 2023 with her partner in Utah. On her channel “8 Passangers,” which had nearly 2.5 million followers before it was deleted, Franke documented her family life and her strict parental discipline tactics.
In a plea agreement, Ruby Franke admitted to inflicting severe torture and abuse on her two minor children between the months of May and August 2023, as detailed in the plea agreement cited by CBS News.
The methods of abuse against her son included forcing him to perform prolonged physical exercises such as wall squats and carrying heavy boxes, outdoor work in high temperatures without adequate water supply, and exposure to sunburn that resulted in blisters. After an escape attempt in July, Franke regularly tied his hands and feet, sometimes with handcuffs and ropes, causing additional injuries.
Franke’s young children suffered significant physical and emotional consequences from the punishments imposed.
When the handcuffs caused cuts and wounds, Franke treated the injuries with homeopathic remedies and covered them with duct tape, then continued using the restraints. Additionally, the mother physically attacked the minor, submerging his head in water and suffocating him. She committed psychological abuse, convincing him that he was “possessed” and that only through obedience could he avoid punishment, the same media revealed.
As for the influencer’s daughter, he forced her to do outside work and run barefoot on dirt roads, also repeatedly denying her food and water. The girl suffered obvious physical injuries to her feet with symptoms of “scabs, blisters, and peeling skin.”
Like her brother, she was also convinced that she was “possessed by evil” and that punishments were necessary for her obedience and repentance. The abuse inflicted on her would have caused her severe emotional damage, as detailed in her court document.
Following the arrest of Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt on August 30, 2023, four of the content creator’s children were placed under state protection, as confirmed by The New York Times. For his part, Franke’s lawyer, Lamar J. Winward, did not respond to requests for comment made by the New York newspaper.
The Winward Law firm, which represents Franke, indicated for its part that the abuses were committed under the influence of counselor Jodi Hildebrandt, who allegedly distorted the influencer’s moral sense. According to Franke’s statements, her former counselor isolated her from her family, manipulating her to the point of carrying out harmful actions against her own children, as published by the Telemundo network.
Jodi Hildebrandt, a Utah therapist, was charged with six counts of aggravated child abuse and remains in custody. According to her plea agreement, her partner Ruby Franke agreed to testify against her. Police arrested Hildebrandt and Franke on August 30 after Franke’s son escaped from the house and asked a neighbor for help. The child was malnourished and had injuries covered with adhesive tape on his ankles and wrists, as can be seen from the 911 call released by the St. George Police Department and published by CNBC.
Investigators reported that the boy himself implicated “Jodi” as the person who put the ropes on him and mentioned the use of cayenne pepper and honey to treat his injuries, practices considered inappropriate for open wounds according to professionals at Mount Sinai Hospital.
The use of these remedies suggests that Hildebrandt was aware of the injuries, which would point to his knowledge of the abuse. The therapist has agreed not to see patients until the allegations are reviewed by state licensing authorities, and her next hearing is expected on December 27.
A niece of Hildebrandt, Jessi Hildebrandt, recounted her experience of being restrained and restrained with duct tape while in her aunt’s care years ago. Additionally, it was revealed that a former patient described Hildebrandt as the leader of a virtual bullying group during marriage counseling sessions recommended by a bishop of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.