YouTuber Ruby Franke to remain jailed on child abuse charges
- Franke and her business partner face felony child abuse charges
- The four minor children have been removed from Franke's custody
- Her parenting channel had previously been removed from YouTube
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(NewsNation) — YouTube star and mommy blogger Ruby Franke will remain jailed for at least the next two weeks on six felony counts of child abuse.
Franke made her first court appearance Friday along with her business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt. The women did not enter pleas, and Judge Eric Gentry ordered them to be held without bail before scheduling their next hearings for Sept. 21.
Lawyers representing the two women plan to ask for bail hearings.
The case began when one of Franke’s six children escaped Hildebrandt’s home, where Franke and two of the children were staying. The boy ran to a neighbor who called 911 because he appeared malnourished and had duct tape on his wrists and ankles.
Police found another minor child in Hildebrandt’s home and two other children in the Franke home. All four children are now in state custody, while Franke and Hildebrandt both face charges of felony aggravated child abuse.
An incident report from the Santa Clara-Ivins Public Safety Department described the child’s injuries as severe enough to require treatment at a local hospital. The other child at Hildebrandt’s home was also taken for treatment by EMS.
In audio of the 911 call released by police, the neighbor tells a dispatcher: “I think he’s been — he’s been detained. He’s been, he’s obviously covered in wounds.”
Due to the sensitive nature of the case, police said they would not be releasing any more information at this time.
Franke first became well-known for a YouTube channel called “8 Passengers,” which she ran with her husband and featured the couple and their six kids. The two oldest children are now adults and no longer live in the family home.
The channel sparked criticism over Franke’s parenting style, which she called strict but others said amounted to child abuse. They pointed to videos where one of the older children talked about having his bed and bedroom taken away for months as punishment or Franke refusing to bring her 6-year-old lunch after the child forgot to pack it.
After YouTube removed 8 Passengers, Franke joined Hildebrandt on a channel called ConneXions, which offered mental health advice.
Franke’s husband is estranged from her and has denied any involvement in the alleged abuse of the children.
