Family vlogger, Ruby Franke, and her business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt, were arrested in late August on child abuse charges. Her youngest son was found on a neighbor’s doorstep with open wounds and duck tape around his ankles. The two women were originally arrested for six counts of child abuse, but some charges were dropped on both of the women’s behalf including Franke who took a plea deal to testify against Hilldabrant.
“With my deepest regret, and sorrow for my family and children – guilty,” Franke said when asked by Judge John J. Walton for her plea.
Franke plead guilty to four of six counts of aggravated child abuse, each counting for a second degree felony. Hildabrant also plead guilty to four out of six counts of aggravated child abuse after entering an agreement to say that she knowingly abused and allowed others to abuse her children.
When taking their plea, the details of both women’s crimes against the children were revealed. Franke admitted to holding Russell Franke’s, her youngest son, head underwater, cutting off his oxygen by smothering and forced him to work outside in Utah’s hot temperatures with no breaks or water.
Her youngest daughter, Eve Franke, was denied food and water, worked outside alongside her brother and both children were forced to do wall sits for long periods of time. Both children were subjected to mental abuse, being told that they were “possessed” and that everything done to them was “out of love.”
Along with Frankes’ guilty plea, her ex-husband, Kevin Franke, publicly divorced her and plans to get full custody of their children. However, many people have raised concerns about this decision.
Shari Franke, the eldest daughter, has made repeated requests to take custody of her siblings who are still minors. Besides this information, the courts have closed the case to the public.
People have gone to their social platforms to make their own statements and opinions about this case. Youtuber Adam McIntyre posted a video titled “Kevin Franke Files for DIVORCE from Ruby Franke” on Nov. 30.
“For the longest time, he was involved in it,” McIntyre said. “This man is not innocent, in my opinion, and I don’t feel that the kids are in… safe hands with him, the same way they weren’t with Ruby.”
Both Hildanrant and Franke’s sentencing is scheduled to be on Feb. 20 with Franke agreeing to testify against Hildabrant. They can both get up to 60 years in prison for the crimes they have separately committed.
