'YouTube 8 Passengers Parenting Mum Arrested: Child Abuse Charges'

Popular parenting advice YouTuber arrested for child abuse charges after her starving child escaped and sought help from neighbors.

Utah Police arrested a woman who ran a popular parenting advice YouTube channel on child abuse charges after her malnourished child escaped from her home. Ruby Franke and her business partner, Jodi Nan Hildebrandt, were both arrested in Ivins, Utah. Authorities discovered Franke's 10-year-old daughter undernourished at Hildebrandt's home. The two women faced six counts of child abuse. Franke's 12-year-old son climbed out the window and went to a neighbor's house to ask for food and water. The neighbor reported that the child appeared emaciated and malnourished, with open wounds and duct tape around his extremities. Law enforcement observed the severe wounds and malnourishment upon arrival. The child was taken to the hospital due to deep lacerations from being tied up and malnourishment. Franke's 10-year-old daughter was also hospitalized. Four children were placed in the custody of family and child services. Franke and Hildebrandt were formally charged with physical abuse, starvation, and serious emotional trauma, each carrying a prison sentence of up to ten years and a fine of up to $10,000. Franke gained popularity on YouTube with her channel 8 Passengers, which focused on raising her six children. The channel had over 2 million members before it was removed. Franke has faced criticism for her parenting methods, including using meal withholding as a disciplinary tool. She has also appeared in videos by Hildebrandt, a life coach and counselor, discussing children's mental health. Hildebrandt was previously placed on probation and faced potential loss of her license as a pornography-addiction therapist for discussing a patient without permission. Franke's eldest daughter expressed relief on Instagram after her mother's arrest, stating that they had been trying to report the abuse to authorities for years. Franke has requested an attorney and has not spoken with officers.

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