The arrest of Ruby Franke brought to an end a long campaign by those who were adamant that her children were being raised in an atmosphere of systematic abuse. One such person was Franke’s own daughter, Shari, who was 20 at the time of her mother’s arrest and posted repeatedly on Instagram stating that Franke’s arrest was a long time coming (per People). Franke’s three sisters also spoke out in support of her arrest.
At her trial, Franke pleaded guilty to four of a total of six child abuse charges, and in February 2024 the former influencer was sentenced to four one-to-15-year sentences and agreed to give testimony against Jodi Hildebrandt (via NBC News). As reported by Business Insider, Franke begged for forgiveness, claiming that she had been “deceived” into viewing the world as an “evil place.” She also gave harrowing details of other punishments she and Hildebrandt had subjected the children to, including beatings, forced manual labor in full sun without protective wear or water, and forcing one of them to injure themselves on a cactus, per the BBC.
Hildebrandt has also pleaded guilty to four of the six charges against her. Her niece, Jessi, has since publicly claimed that she was subjected to similar abuse as the Franke children while in Hildebrandt’s care as a child 10 years ago (per KUTV).
If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.
