Ruby Franke in a family vlog ; Ruby Franke during a hearing Monday, Dec. 18, 2023, in St. George, Utah. . Photo:
AP
Before YouTuber Ruby Franke pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse alongside with ex-business partner Jodi Hildebrandt in late 2023, authorities found a journal she left that detailed the abuse of her children.
In the journal entries, the Mormon family vlogger and mother of six shared several first-hand instances of harming her two youngest children, whom she believed were demonically “possessed,” and insisted that they must repent.
A police investigator in Hulu’s new docuseries, Devil In The Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke, reads out some of the entries, including one that stated, “Sleep outside, shaved her head, doused her with water, over his nose and mouth, head in the toilet, needs to be painful. Blood on his face, scream and scream.”
Another entry read, “I told the boy, he emulates a snake. If he wants to emulate the Savior, he needs to be a hundred percent obedient with exactness. The body must engage in good work and the good works need to be painful. I have the power of God and he must obey.”
Jodi Hildebrandt, left, and Ruby Franke. Sheldon Demke/St. George News via AP, Pool; Ron Chaffin/St. George News via AP, Pool)
After writing about pushing her boy into the sun, Franke says she came back with a “cactus poker.” She adds, “When I poke his back to get in the sun, he doesn’t even flinch. I told him, give your demon friend a message for me. I will not rest. I will not stop. I will not leave. I will fight him until the day you die,” as heard in the docuseries.
As part of her 10-page plea agreement, Franke admitted to abusing her two youngest children. She was arrested in August 2023 after her 12-year-old son escaped the home they were living in with Hildebrandt and asked a neighbor to call the police. The neighbor, who was driven to tears by the boy’s “emaciated” condition, called 911.
Police said the boy had visible wounds and marks from tape around his wrists and ankles. Soon after, authorities found Franke’s 9-year-old daughter in a similarly malnourished state inside Hildebrandt’s home in Ivins, Utah.
Franke and her husband, Kevin, rose to prominence through their YouTube channel “8Passengers,” which portrayed their strict parenting style and generated more than 2 million followers. The channel, which was started in 2015, was eventually shut down by YouTube following her arrest. (Kevin was not arrested or charged).
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Ruby Franke and Kevin Franke with their six children. Moms of Truth/ Instagram
Once Hildebrandt, a former sex therapist and founder of the religious social media network ConneXions, came into the family’s lives, the abuse escalated.
A therapist featured in the docuseries says Hildebrandt “would prey on the weak,” adding, “she was excellent at exploiting Mormon anxiety.”
Like Franke, Hildebrandt pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse. Both women received identical sentences of four to 30 years in prison; the exact duration will be determined by the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole.
At her sentencing, Franke cried and apologized to her children, according to Business Insider.
“I will never stop crying for hurting your tender souls,” she said, per the outlet.
Devil In The Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke is streaming now on Hulu.
