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In the wake of YouTuber Ruby Franke’s arrest on Wednesday, August 30, 2023, rumors arose that her husband, Kevin Franke, was also in police custody. But so far, the news hasn’t been proven yet. Instead, Page Six reported that Kevin Franke’s attorney, Randy S. Kester, said on Thursday that their client’s priority was taking care of his six children.
“Urgent focus is simply to keep his children together under his fatherly care,” Randy S. Kester said.
On Wednesday, momfluencer and vlogger Ruby Franke and her business associate Jodi Hildebrandt were arrested with two accounts of second-degree aggravated child abuse charges. While the former is well-known for her YouTube channel, 8 Passengers, the latter is known for providing self-help and parent counseling services via a business named ConneXions.
Ruby Franke’s arrest happened after her 12-year-old child escaped from her captivity in Hildebrandt’s house basement in Ivins, Utah, and ran to a neighbor’s house for help, food, and water. The neighbor called the local cops, citing that a kid came to them who “appeared to be emaciated and malnourished” and had marks of rope and duct tape bondage around their ankles and wrists.
When the cops responded and came to the scene, they found the child with “deep lacerations” and exhibiting signs of abuse. Upon further investigation, they discovered that another 10-year-old kid was still being held captive in Hildebrandt’s basement. They quickly drew a warrant, searched her place, and found the younger kid in a similar physical condition. Later, both were rushed to a local hospital for treatment and care.
Despite being outside prison, Kevin Franke has also come under fire in the aftermath of his wife’s arrest. In fact, negative reviews on the Rate My Professors website have gone viral about the former professor of Brigham Young University. One review from the website reads:
“Just take someone else…for your own sake”: Students of Kevin Franke give him bad reviews in the wake of his wife’s arrest for child abuse
Ruby Franke’s husband, Kevin Franke, was an associate professor at Brigham Young University (BYU) in Utah in the department of civil and construction engineering. However, according to Insider, he was allegedly fired in spring 2023 and has since stayed away from the limelight.
Not only that, but a Reddit page called @r/8passengersnark reported that the BYU page on Kevin Franke was also missing. While it is unclear why he was terminated, Insider also claimed that the couple had most likely not been together since earlier this year.
In the wake of Ruby Franke’s arrest, Kevin Franke has reportedly taken charge of ensuring their children’s well-being, keeping them under his care and away from the public eye. But the aggravated child abuse charges against his wife have stirred up many accusations against him, with negative reviews trending on the Rate My Professors website.
While some are brand-new and may be driven by recent events, many are from last year. In the reviews, his students have called him “toxic” and even asked fellows not to take his classes. Here are some of the reactions:
Interestingly, a couple of students lauded Kevin Franke’s teaching methods and stated that even though he was strict, he was competent in his field and as a professor. Here are a few positive reviews of Kevin Franke:
Ruby and Kevin Franke share six kids, four of whom are minors. Their names are Shari, Chad, Abby, Julie, Russell, and Eve. Even though their father remains out of jail, the minor children have been put under the Department of Child and Family Services’ custody and care.
Ruby Franke rose to fame as a YouTube influencer in 2015. She showcased her family life with her husband and six children on her channel 8 Passengers. It had 2.5 million subscribers until it was taken down earlier this year when the rumors of alleged child abuse first arose.
Ruby and Jodi are currently being held at Washington County Jail without bail. They can face up to 15 years in prison and a fine amounting to $10,000.
Following Ruby’s arrest, the eldest Franke kid, Shari, took to Instagram to share how “glad” she was that “justice is being served” and that her mother was finally in police custody. She also mentioned how her siblings’ safety was now their priority, but there was a long road ahead. The rumor of child abuse against the Franke couple first emerged in 2020.
