Youtuber Ruby Franke's Child Abuse Case Updates have sparked widespread outrage and concern among her followers and the online community. The popular family vlogger, known for sharing her life with her husband and eight children on YouTube, recently revealed that one of her children had been a victim of abuse.
Since the initial disclosure, Ruby has been providing regular updates on the situation, detailing the progress of the investigation and legal proceedings. Her transparency and willingness to share such a personal and difficult experience with her audience have garnered both support and criticism.
Washington County prosecutors released a slew of records Friday detailing the “horrific abuse” Utah parenting influencer Ruby Franke and former mental health counselor Jodi Hildebrandt inflicted last summer on two of Franke’s young children.
The records include police reports, witness statements and more than 30 body camera and surveillance videos showing Franke, Hildebrandt and the children interacting with authorities.
Franke, 42, and Hildebrandt, 54, pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse that included convincing Franke’s two youngest children they were evil and subjecting them to manual labor, dayslong fasting and conditions Clarke has described as “concentration camp-like.”
The women, who have said they belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, were arrested last August at Hildebrandt’s house in Ivins, a picturesque suburb of St. George, after her neighbor Danny Clarkson opened his door to find the emaciated boy. Their actions have been condemned by other Mormon parenting bloggers who say they misrepresented their community and the religion.
On the day that the Frankes' youngest son escaped from the Ivins, Utah, home of Ruby Franke's friend and business partner Jodi Hildebrandt, Kevin arrived at the Santa Clara-Ivins Police Department. He told the police he was looking for his two youngest children, who ABC News is referring to by their initials -- R and E -- to protect their privacy.
Nearly seven months later, Kevin Franke is seeking to regain custody of his four minor children, and he's filed for divorce.
"20/20" has learned that R and E have been placed in foster care together and Bate told Juju Chang that they are doing much better. Bate said, "They've put on weight, they look healthy, they're happy, they're back to their hobbies."
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