The daughter of abusive blogger Ruby Franke warns parents against publishing children's pictures

The eldest daughter of Ruby Franke, the Utah parenting blogger convicted of child molestation in February, is warning parents who post photos and videos of their children on blogs.

Franke, a 41-year-old mother of six, and her friend Jodi Hildebrandt, a 54-year-old mother of two, were running a joint Parenting and lifestyle YouTube channel called ConneXions Classrooms. In December, both pleaded guilty in St. George court to four of six counts of second-degree aggravated child abuse committed against two of the Frankes' children.

“When children become stars in their family’s online content, they become influencers for children,” Franke said in a statement to the Utah House of Representatives on Oct. 16. “It's about more than just filming family life and putting it online. This is it.” A full-time job with employees, business credit cards, managers and marketing strategies. However, the difference between family vlogging and a normal business is that the employees are all children, from before they were born to 18, they have become the stars of family businesses on YouTube, Instagram and most other social media platforms. “

Prior to ConneXions Classrooms, Franke ran her own parenting vlog or video blog on social media called 8Passengers, where she represented herself, her husband, and their eight children.

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Shari pointed out that Utah is a “hotspot for family content” due to the state's culture surrounding the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), noting that the church's goal is to “expand” that culture. to share with the world.” “

“[T]There is NEVER a good reason to post your children online for money or fame.”

— Shari Franke

“We also have large families, which makes family content more lucrative,” Shari noted. “Specifically, many parents film their normal family life as an online video blog, called vlogging. But I want to make it clear that there is NEVER a good reason to post your children online for money or fame.”

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Ruby Franke ran a YouTube page called ConneXions with Jodi Hildebrandt, whose goal was to teach around 4,650 followers how to “successfully navigate through life.” (Instagram/moms_of_truth)

Franke teamed up with Hildebrandt, a former licensed therapist, in 2022, and the two decided to start their own parenting vlog on YouTube, often staying with Franke's children at Hildebrandt's multi-million dollar home in St. George. They also hosted conferences across the country aimed at providing parenting advice for those who have difficulty disciplining their children.

“There is no such thing as a moral or ethical family vlogger.”

— Shari Franke

Shari said her mother's blog became her household's main source of income, but sometimes the money her mother's vlogging work brought in was used as a “bribe.”

YOUTUBE MOMMY BLOGGER RUBY FRANKE, CO-HOST JODI HILDEBRANDT CONVICTED FOR CHILD ABUSE: “DARK IDEA”

Parenting blogger Jodi Hildebrandt pleaded guilty to four of six counts of aggravated child abuse in connection with the physical and psychological harm to two of her co-host's children. (Sheldon Demke/St. George News/Pool)

“For example, we received a $100 reward or a shopping spree if we filmed a particularly embarrassing moment or exciting event,” Shari explained. “Or in other cases there was an expectation that simply a holiday would be paid for – because most children cannot take part in regular and expensive holidays or trips. Not to mention the fact that the vacation or trip was actually paid for with the child's work.” . There is no law that guarantees that child influencers receive money from their work.”

She has since called on Utah lawmakers to consider implementing certain protections for child influencers.

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Most families in the area knew that Franke had a YouTube channel called 8Passengers, her neighbor told Fox News Digital. When she started another vlog with Hildebrandt called “Moms of Truth”/ConneXions on Facebook, “some” neighbors were “very concerned” about the content, the neighbor said. (Moms of Truth/Instagram)

In 2023, the two pals and business partners were arrested for abusing Franke's two youngest children, a 9-year-old girl and a 12-year-old boy. Some of the abuse occurred in Hildebrandt's home.

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The allegations against Franke and Hildebrandt only came to light after Franke's son escaped from Hildebrandt's home in Ivins and ran to a neighbor, who called 911 after seeing the malnourished boy with duct tape on his wrists and ankles.

HEAR THE 911 CALL:

“Over the past four years, I have chosen to follow advice and guidance that led me into a dark delusion,” a tearful Franke said in a statement during her sentencing hearing in February. “My distorted version of reality remained largely uncontrolled as I isolated myself from anyone who challenged me. I was led to believe that this world was an evil place, full of cops who control, hospitals who hurt, government agencies who brainwash, church leaders who lie and lust, husbands who refuse to be protected, children, who need abuse.

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“Kevin, my husband of over 23 years, you are the love of my life. “I’m so sorry to leave you what we both started together,” Franke continued, sobbing. “The end of our marriage is a tragedy, and you have a knot wrapped around my heart that I can never untie. To my babies, my six little chicks, you are a part of me. I was the mother duck who kept you safe over the last four years.

Ruby Franke and her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt were arrested and charged after Santa Clara police received a 911 call requesting help. (Instagram/moms_of_truth)

Franke and Hildebrandt were each sentenced to four consecutive prison terms of between one and 15 years on each charge.

Shari's comments to the Utah Legislature on Oct. 16 came 10 days before the premiere of a Lifetime movie about her mother called “Mormon Mom Gone Wrong.”

Shari said in her Instagram Story posted on October 4 that she and her siblings were never contacted about the film and would not receive any proceeds.

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“This film is trash and will only hurt my siblings even more. Please do not support this film,” she wrote at the time.

Simon and Schuster are scheduled to release Shari's new book, My Mother's House, on January 7th.