A 12-year-old’s courageous escape out a window led to the arrest of his mother Ruby Franke, the popular YouTube star. The drama took place in Washington County Utah in a nice suburban neighborhood.
The heart-wrenching case has cast a spotlight on issues of child abuse and trust, as well as the consequences of online influence.
YouTube Channels shut down
Franke’s fame through her “8 Passengers” YouTube channel garnered millions of global followers.
According to a neighbor, “In early 2022, it started getting weird. People were concerned because Ruby completely stopped her YouTube stuff. And then it just kind of turned dark. She taped up paper over all of her windows. She would disappear for weeks at a time and there’s all these little kids just left alone in this house.”
In June 2022, Franke announced she and business partner therapist Jodi Hildebrandt would be active on “ConneXions” their new life counseling YouTube channel.
In 2012 Hildebrandt’s license was put on hold for 18 months after she discussed a patient’s alleged “porn addiction” with Mormon church elders without the patient’s permission.
