Jodi Nan Hildebrandt and Ruby Franke Arrested

Two individuals, Jodi Nan Hildebrandt and Ruby Franke, have been arrested in southern Utah on charges of child abuse. The arrest came after a malnourished 12-year-old boy, who appeared to have his hands bound, escaped from an Ivins residence belonging to Hildebrandt and ran to a neighbor’s home seeking help. The child had duct tape on his ankles and wrists, along with severe wounds and signs of malnourishment. The police discovered another malnourished child, a 10-year-old girl, in Hildebrandt’s home. Both children were under Hildebrandt’s care.

Ruby Franke, a popular YouTube blogger known for her channel “8 Passengers,” was identified as the mother of the two children. A recent YouTube video filmed in Hildebrandt’s basement revealed that Franke was aware of the abuse, neglect, and malnourishment. The “8 Passengers” channel, which documented Franke’s family life, had gained a large following but was taken offline earlier this year amid concerns about the parenting style depicted in the videos.

Jodi Nan Hildebrandt, in addition to her involvement in the case, is the founder of “Connexions Classroom,” a mental and emotional healing company based in Utah. Both Hildebrandt and Franke are business partners, with Franke listed on the ConneXions website as a “certified mental fitness trainer.”

Following the arrests, four of Franke’s children were placed in state protective custody. Family members expressed relief that justice was being served and that the children were safe. Franke’s daughter, Shari Franke, also a blogger, posted about the arrests and requested information about “questionable or concerning Connexions or 8 Passengers videos.

Charges Filed and Attorneys Assigned to Cases

Jodi Hildebrandt was arrested at 21:20:51 08/30/23 and charged with a 2nd degree felony Statute: 76-5-109.2(2)+(3A) AGGRAVATED CHILD ABUSE-INTENTIONALLY OR KNOWINGLY. Case number 231501763 has been assigned to Jodi and the initial court appearance is schedule for September 8th. Retained counsel for Jodi Hildebrandt is listed as Douglas Terry. The public can attend via webex.

Ruby Franke was arrested a short time later at 21:33:56 on 08/30/23 and charged with a 2nd degree felony Statute: 76-5-109.2(2)+(3A) AGGRAVATED CHILD ABUSE-INTENTIONALLY OR KNOWINGLY. Case Number 231501764 has been assigned to Ruby and the initial court appearance is scheduled for September 8th. Retained counsel for Ruby Franke is listed as Lamar Winward. The public can attend via webex.