• Youtuber Ruby Franke pleads guilty to 4 charges relating to child abuse
• Her business partner Jodi Hlidebrandt was also arrested but is due to appear in court
• Family members of Franke have spoken out against her and her partner’s behavior, and the Division of Child and Family Services were called once in 2020 because of concerns about their punishments
Here is what happened:
Youtuber Ruby Franke has recently pled guilty to four charges of felony child abuse, following a case that has garnered national attention. Along with her business partner Jodi Hildebrand, Franke was arrested and charged with six counts of child abuse after her 12-year-old son fled Hildebrand’s house with signs of abuse. Franke’s 10-year-old daughter was also found in a malnourished condition at the same location. Four of Franke’s six children were subsequently taken into custody.
Franke has also released a statement through her law firm, alleging that much of the abuse was a result of Hildebrandt’s influence. The statement further claims that Hildebrand took advantage of Franke’s quest for continual improvement and twisted it into something heinous. Hildebrand is also due to appear in court on Dec. 27.
Franke’s case has attracted commentary from her family members, including her sisters and eldest daughter Shari Franke. Her sisters have expressed relief that the children are now safe, calling Franke’s arrest and that of Hildebrand necessary. The eldest daughter, a university student, celebrated her mother’s arrest, expressing gratitude that justice is being served.
The case has also drawn attention to the Division of Child and Family Services in Utah, which had previously been called to investigate the family in 2020 over concerns about their YouTube videos. Although the investigation was closed due to unsupported abuse claims at the time, the recent developments in Franke’s case have brought the family’s situation to public attention once again.
