Trigger warning: this post mentions child abuse and may be triggering for some readers. If this is true for you, please proceed with care.
On Wednesday, (Australian Eastern Daylight Time), a Utah judge sentenced Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt
The 8 Passengers’ matriarch was sentenced between four to sixty years imprisonment for aggravated child abuse. Hildebrandt was given the same sentence.
Late last year, Franke confessed to abusing her – then twelve -year – old son. She admitted to forcing him to work outside in late Spring to late Summer (May to August). Despite the heat, Franke’s son wasn’t given adequate water. He also suffered severe sunburns.
Franke also physically abused her son and bound his ankles and wrists with handcuffs and rope.
Franke then ‘treated’ the boy’s injuries with duct tape.
When the judge asked her plea, Franke said:
With my deepest regret and sorrow for my family and my children, guilty.
Franke treated her then – then nine – year. – old – daughter in similar ways.
Yet, Franke has had the gall to accuse one of her children of sexual abuse and calling her children ‘evil and posessed’. If the second statement isn’t an example of projection, I don’t know what is!
Franke’s sadistic nature was evident on ‘8 Passengers’
No one should be surprised with these charges. Ruby is sadistic and she hasn’t hid it.
As far back as 2020, viewers were disturbed over Franke’s overly – strictt parenting.
She treated her children horribly, all in the public eye.
Last year, reporters and commentators revealed that Franke forced her eldest son to sleep on a beanbag for seven months. In a video, the teenager revealed that he’d got in trouble for pranking his brother.
She refused to give her young daughter —who was six at the time — lunch at school. Why? Because the six – year – old daughter forgot to pack it.
In 2021, Franke announced that she and Kevin were giving two of their youngest children “the gift of truth” for Christmas. That’s code for nothing. These children weren’t even teenagers at this stage.
But wait, there’s more. Both children were used by toy companies to promote… toys for Christmas. You can’t make this stuff up!
Snail Galaxy started a petition calling for Child Protection Services (CPS) to investigate Franke’s treatment of the children. Unfortunately, it amassed less than three hundred signatures. But Franke was starting to get attention for all the wrong reasons.
YouTuber Josh Barbour has covered Franke’s cruelty on Dad Challenge Podcast for about three years.
Ex – LDS couple, Jordan and McKay has also spoken about Franke and Hildebrandt, especially Hildebrandt’s therapy practices.
Where to from here?
The imprisonment of Franke and Hildebrandt brings up many issues. One is exploitation of children online. The other is the danger of the ‘picture perfect’ image that family vloggers put across. It seems limke that the more ‘perfect’ a vlogger family seems, the more that they have to hide.
As social media users, the best we can do is stop falling for it. Stop watching family vlogs and other problematic creators. Fortunately, that’s starting to happen.
If this post brings up any issues for you and you’re in Australia, you can contact:
Lifeline: 13 11 14
Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636 or go on their webchat
Kids Helpline (for those between five and 25): 1800 55 1800 or their webchat
If you or anyone you know is in immediate danger, call 000 or your national emergency number.