Ruby Franke, the star of the YouTube series ‘8 Passengers,’ and Jodi Hildebrandt, the founder of the parent counseling service ConneXions, were detained on Wednesday, August 30, 2023, according to Fox13. The two were arrested on suspicion of child abuse.
Why was Ruby Franke arrested?
A Reddit account, 8 Passenger Snark, confirmed the 41-year-old YouTube vlogger’s arrest on Wednesday, citing a copy of their arrest booking record from the Washington County sheriff’s office. Ruby Franke was arrested on allegations of serious child abuse, according to her booking record.
Fox 13 did not go into detail about the charges. However, according to the Reddit account, Ruby Franke and her husband, Kevin Franke, were detained with Jodi Hildebrandt on suspicion of child abuse.
According to the Reddit account, which cited an unidentified insider, Ruby and her husband were arrested separately on August 30. The mother of six, who had been spending time with ConneXions founder Jodi Hildebrandt, was allegedly arrested jointly at the latter’s home on suspicion of child malnourishment.
Background on ‘8 Passengers’ YouTube channel and child abuse allegations
Meanwhile, Fox13 claimed that the Springville Fire Department responded to a “Mutual Aid incident” at Hildebrandt’s Springville apartment early Wednesday. Ruby Franke was arrested shortly after, along with her husband Kevin and Hildebrandt.
The ‘8 Passengers’ YouTube vlogging channel was founded in 2015 by Ruby and Kevin Franke, a Mormon couple with six children: Shari, Chad, Abby, Julie, Russell, and Eve.
The channel attracted nearly 2.3 million subscribers thanks to popular videos based on their parenting experiences. The channel was shut down in 2020 after complaints of child abuse surfaced online.
The reports were based on a since-deleted video in which their 15-year-old son stated he had been forced to sleep on the floor for months because he had played a prank on his younger sibling. The family was soon investigated by Child Protective Services.
The family apparently drifted away from the vlogging channel in the following months, and Franke reportedly associated herself with ConneXions, a parenting and business consulting organization led by Jodi Hildebrandt. Franke was employed by their business team.
Close relationship between Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt
According to an unnamed source, Ruby Franke spent a lot of time at Jodi Hildebrandt’s house before they were detained, according to Reddit user 8 Passenger Snark.
The counseling business, which charges $75 each week for a 90-minute session, supposedly seeks to empower clients through healing and growth. The mission statement reads as follows:
“I love to work with people and see them change. I’m very passionate about this work and seeing it go throughout the world. I look forward to working with you and seeing you find peace, happiness, and freedom in your life.”
According to Fox 13, the company also provides company leadership counseling through an 18-week program that costs $14,985.
