Ruby Franke gave millions of fans parenting tips - now she's on trial for child abuse

Blogger - Ruby Franke gave millions of fans parenting tips - now she's on trial for child abuse

One of her sons had to sleep on a beanbag for months because she took away his bed; another had to sleep on the floor of the bathroom as punishment; the children were not given breakfast until they had done their chores; she hoped that no one at school would share her daughter's lunch when she forgot to take her own. Ruby Franke documented all of this for years in a video blog on YouTube. Almost 2.5 million subscribers gave the mother of six children from Utah a wide reach. For a long time, hardly anyone seemed to be bothered by the fact that she spoke openly about the abuse of her children as a form of punishment.

But now the 41-year-old is on trial after all, Franke pleaded guilty on Monday to four counts of aggravated child abuse. She and her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt were arrested back in August in the small town of Ivins in southwest Utah. One of her sons had previously jumped out of a window of Hildebrandt's house and fled to a neighbor's house, where he asked for water and food. According to the police report, the boy, who was completely emaciated, had numerous wounds on his body and adhesive tape on his hands and feet. "During a search of the home, evidence was found that was consistent with the markings found on the 12-year-old," Santa Clara-Ivins police said in a statement.

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

Ruby Franke admits to crimes

"He was held there and is covered in wounds. He asked me to call the police and is very scared," the neighbor said in the 911 call released by police. Franke confessed to the police that she had forced her son to do hours of physical labor every day over the summer without giving him enough water. She also denied him food or only gave him simple meals. He was isolated from other people and had no access to books or electronic devices. His mother and Hildebrandt treated the wounds with cayenne pepper and honey.

The son had already tried to escape from the house in July, but was prevented from doing so by his mother and Hildebrandt. The boy told investigators that "Jodi" had tied his hands and feet with ropes. In other cases, the bound hands and feet were fixed with rope while he lay on his stomach. Franke also confessed to kicking the boy with boots and holding his head under water. "The son was told that everything that was done to him was done out of love," according to a plea deal Franke agreed to with prosecutors before pleading guilty. The blogger also confessed to a similar approach with her then nine-year-old daughter. "She was told that she was evil and possessed and that the things that were done to her were to help her," the plea deal states, quoted by the AP news agency.

Questionable videos on YouTube

In the months and years leading up to her arrest, the 41-year-old had already been the subject of repeated controversy. In her video blog, in which she gave parents advice on raising children, she spoke openly about the punishments she inflicted on her offspring. The channel was blocked by YouTube after Franke's arrest, but individual sequences can still be found on the platform. For example, you can see her threatening to cut off the head of a cuddly toy if her daughter were to cut something in the house again. Franke and Hildebrandt's joint YouTube channel, on which they give life tips, has also been blocked by YouTube - it is still available on Instagram.

In a statement last week, Franke's lawyer explained that his client had been influenced by Hildebrandt, who works as a relationship counselor. His client had believed that Hildebrandt had wanted to show her a "constant path to improvement", but had exploited the mother's aspirations and twisted them "into something despicable".

Franke also came to the attention of the police and the youth welfare office last year. In 2020, more than 17,000 people signed a petition calling on the authorities to take action. After separating from her husband Kevin last year, the 41-year-old repeatedly traveled to Hildebrand in Ivins, around 400 kilometers away, for several days - but the children had to stay alone in Springville in northern Utah. Kevin Franke has since filed for divorce.

Franke faces a long prison sentence

Back in September 2022, the eldest daughter, who had since moved out of the house, made an emergency call to say that her siblings had been home alone for five days. On site, the neighbors told the officers that the mother had regularly left the children alone for long periods of time, Komo News reported. The children themselves had not opened the door to the officers during the incident and had hidden on the upper floor of the house. However, the authorities did not take action. "Child Protective Services told us they couldn't take action until someone got hurt," a neighbor told People magazine. Even after Franke's arrest in Ivins, officers arrived at the Springville home to find two children, ages 14 and 16, left behind by their mother. While her two younger siblings were taken to hospital malnourished, the two teenagers were said to be in good health. All four were taken into state custody.

Franke and Hildebrandt have been in custody since their arrest - and will probably spend some time in prison. The two women have been charged with six counts, each of the children is considered a separate case, although Franke has only pleaded guilty to four. For each individual case, the two women face prison sentences of between one year and 15 years and a fine of up to 10,000 dollars each. A verdict is expected on February 20, 2024.

Sources: AP, CNN, Santa Clara-Ivins Police Department, Komo News, People Magazine