YouTuber Ruby Franke arrested for child abuse

Ruby Franke, who ran the family YouTube channel 8 Passengers, has been arrested on aggravated child abuse charges.

Washington County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Franke and her business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt, were arrested in Springville, Utah on Wednesday night (local time).

They were both charged with two counts of second-degree aggravated child abuse.

Utah police allegedly received a report that there was a child, with open wounds and duct tape on limbs, asking for food and water.

It is believed that the child asked a neighbour for help after climbing out of an open window.

Ruby Franke gained millions of subscribers for her now-deleted YouTube channel “8 Passengers” that featured her husband, Kevin, and their six children.

The Frankes were regularly criticised for their strict parenting style.

In July 2020, there was a report made to local child protective services after one of their videos revealed that their son, Chad, had been sleeping on a beanbag for seven months.

The channel was removed from YouTube earlier this year, but the exact reason why is unknown.

Franke and Hildebrandt regularly collaborate on ConneXions — a life and relationships support service founded by Hildebrandt.

The platform encourages people to empower their life through “training that is built on principles of honesty, responsibility, and humility”.

Franke’s sisters posted a joint statement on Instagram following the arrests, saying it “needed to happen”.

“Behind the public scene we have done everything we could to try and make sure the kids were safe,” the statement read.

“The kids are now safe, which is the number one priority.”

Franke’s eldest child, Shari, cut ties with the family in 2022.

“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,” she said in an Instagram story.

Franke and Hildebrandt are expected to remain in custody without bond.