Known for parenting tips: YouTuber arrested for alleged child abuse

Publicly presenting herself as the perfect head of the family, Ruby Franke has been providing parenting tips to her over two million YouTube subscribers since 2015. But as the doting mother’s facade seems to be crumbling, the 41-year-old was surprisingly arrested.

The charge: child abuse. The whole thing exploded when one of her children fled through a window at her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt’s home in Ivins, Utah, asking neighbors for food and water. There was tape on the wrists and ankles. Shortly afterwards, the neighbors alerted the police.

“The caller said the child appeared malnourished and had open wounds” also confirmed the local authorities. The condition and injuries were said to have been so serious that the child was taken to a hospital for further treatment. The police spoke of “deep wounds from being tied with a rope”.

According to US broadcaster NBC, further investigation led officials to a nearby home where another child was found in a similarly poor condition. The child was also hospitalized. After the house was searched, four minors were taken into custody by the authorities. Jodi Hildebrandt, Ruby Franke’s business partner, was also arrested.

The arrest should come as no surprise to some viewers. In the past, Franke has been reported to authorities several times by viewers, citing her strict parenting style as a backdrop. The YouTube channel was closed at the beginning of 2023, why is not known according to NBC.

Franke’s eldest daughter, who says she no longer has contact with her family, also turned to the public. She posted a photo of the arrest with the words “Finally.” To gather more evidence against her mother, she released a paper asking the public to document incidents they saw in the YouTube videos there.