Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of child abuse. Reader discretion is advised.
Former YouTuber Ruby Franke‘s child abuse crimes first surfaced when one of her kids escaped Jodi Hildebrandt’s Utah home. The case received worldwide attention when authorities arrested Franke and her business associate, Hildebrandt, in August 2023. Both women then faced charges of abusing the former’s children. Later that year, they pleaded guilty to four counts of child abuse each, receiving lengthy prison sentences.
Sources report that revelations confirmed Ruby Franke, who is now in prison, had been abusing her kids for quite some time. Franke had maintained detailed journal entries of the abuse she perpetrated on her children in the form of punishment. She nearly drowned her son in the pool, alleging a demon had passed the boy. Other entries described how she starved them and forbade them from drinking water. On one occasion, Franke even cut her daughter’s hair and “doused” her with “dog wash” water.
However, on August 30, 2023, Franke’s son escaped from Jodi Hildebrandt’s home. The two women had been keeping him and one of his sisters there. The boy then arrived at a neighbor’s doorstep, asking for food and help. He appeared “emaciated” and had wounds all over his body. The neighbor called authorities, who then found Franke’s daughter in a similar condition in Hildebrandt’s home.
ABC 20/20 previously chronicled the child abuse case against Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt. The episode titled “Ruby Franke: From Momfluencer to Felon” is available to watch on Hulu and ABC Networks.
How did Ruby Franke’s kids escape from Jodi Hildebrandt’s house?
According to USA Today, authorities released video footage of one of Ruby Franke’s kids escaping Jodi Hildebrandt’shouse. They acquired the footage from home security cameras, which shows Franke’s pre-teen son, after climbing out of a window of Hindebrandt’s house, walking up to a neighboring home. The boy then rang the doorbell and walked away when nobody answered the door. Moments later, a man comes out of the house and calls out the boy.
The child then asks the neighbor for help. He asks the man, “I was just wondering if you could do two favors? If you could take me to the nearest police station. Well, actually just one [favor] is fine.” The man, growing excessively concerned, asks the boy, “What’s going on, son?” telling him to “have a seat” on a nearby chair.
A woman then walks out of the house and hands the boy, who would later reveal he was one of Ruby Franke’s kids, some water. Eventually, the neighbor calls authorities, describing to them the situation about an “emaciated” child with “tape around his legs.” He also reported that the boy appeared “hungry and thirsty” when he arrived at his door for help.
People Magazine reported that Franke’s son, whom authorities referred to as “RF,” then revealed how he escaped through the window. The then-12-year-old also told authorities that his mother and her business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt, had tied him using a rope, holding him captive. Additionally, the boy sought help for his then-nine-year-old younger sister, “EF.”
After conducting a sweep of Jodi Hildebrandt’s house, authorities found another of Ruby Franke’s kids there. It was RF’syounger sister EF, whom they found inside Hildebrandt’s closet in a similar emaciated condition. Officers claimed she was initially afraid, hesitant to talk to them, and unwilling to leave. ABC 11 reported body camera footage showed that the first responders took turns to assure the girl they were taking her to safety.
Only hours later, authorities arrested Jodi Hildebrandt and Ruby Franke on charges of child abuse for abusing the latter’s kids. They each faced six counts of aggravated child abuse and in December 2023, pleaded guilty to four counts each. Franke and Hildebrandt received similar prison sentences of four separate 1 to 15 years of consecutive terms in prison.
According to the Utah Department of Corrections, Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt are in prison now. They are both serving their respective prison sentences in the Utah State Correctional Facility.
