A Utah family vlogger was recently arrested and charged with child abuse after authorities found two of her children “emaciated and malnourished, with open wounds and duct tape around” their arms and legs. Her business partner was also arrested.
Ruby Franke, along with her podcasting partner, Jodi Hildebrand, were arrested on August 30, 2023, and charged with two counts of aggravated child abuse. The Santa Clara Public Safety Department announced their arrest in a press release on August 31, and stated that the two are currently in police custody.
Both women hosted a mom's support group through their podcast. A neighbor called 911 when one of the kids escaped and ran to their house asking for help. Officers arrived and searched Ruby Franke's home.
“The juvenile was asking for food and water,” police explained, adding that the child had wounds and markings on their body. “The condition of the juvenile was so severe that they were seen by Santa Clara-Ivins EMS and transported to a local area hospital.” Officers also found another child in the home in “a similar physical condition of malnourishment.” That child was also transported to the hospital.
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Shari Franke, the oldest daughter who cut her mother off a year ago, shared a message on her Instagram story. “Today has been a big day. Me and my family are so glad justice is being served. We've been trying to tell the police and CPS for years about this, and so glad they finally decided to step up."
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child), or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7.
