SANTA CLARA, UT – Two Utah-based parenting bloggers, Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt, have been arrested and charged with six counts of child abuse involving two children. The pair, who earned their living by creating lifestyle and parenting videos on a YouTube channel named ConneXions Classroom, were apprehended on August 30 following a distress call to the Santa Clara Police Department.

The call was made by a local resident who reported a 12-year-old boy seeking help at his doorstep. The boy, who was visibly malnourished and had tape wrapped around his legs, had reportedly escaped from Hildebrandt’s home in Ivins, Utah. The caller, who was visibly distressed during the call, identified Hildebrandt as the boy’s guardian. The boy, however, clarified that his mother was Ruby Franke and that he did not reside in the area.

According to court documents, the boy had managed to escape Hildebrandt’s home through a window and sought help from a neighbor. The neighbor, upon noticing duct tape around the child’s ankles and wrists, contacted law enforcement. The caller also mentioned the presence of sores on the boy’s body and his fear of being found by Hildebrandt.

Upon reaching Hildebrandt’s residence, the police found the child severely malnourished with visible wounds. He was immediately taken to a hospital for treatment. The affidavit states that the boy was placed on medical hold due to deep lacerations from being tied up with rope and severe malnutrition.

The police also found another malnourished child, one of Franke’s children, inside Hildebrandt’s home. This child initially refused medical assistance but was later taken to the hospital. In total, six children were rescued from Hildebrandt’s home in Washington County.

Evidence of Franke’s presence and awareness of the abuse was found in a YouTube video filmed in Hildebrandt’s home, which was posted two days before their arrest. Franke, upon her arrest, immediately requested a lawyer and refused to speak with the police.

The charges against Franke and Hildebrandt include causing or permitting serious physical injury to the two juvenile victims in three different ways: multiple physical injuries or torture, starvation or malnutrition that endangers life, and causing severe emotional harm.

Following their arrest, internet users on TikTok and YouTube began scrutinizing Franke’s and Hildebrandt’s social media pages, unearthing disturbing statements made by the two influencers. In one video, Franke admitted to withholding breakfast from her children until they completed their chores.

Both Franke and Hildebrandt are currently held without bail at the Washington County Jail in Hurricane, Utah.