Key takeaways:
- Ruby Franke and her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt have been charged with six counts of felony child abuse by the Washington County Attorney in Utah.
- Franke and Hildebrandt are accused of a combination of multiple physical injuries or torture; starvation or malnutrition that jeopardizes life; and causing severe emotional harm to two children.
- If convicted, Franke and Hildebrandt could face up to life in prison.
Ruby Franke, the mother of six behind the family YouTube channel “8 Passengers,” has been charged with six counts of felony child abuse by the Washington County Attorney in Utah, a spokesperson for the attorney’s office confirmed on Tuesday.
The investigation is ongoing, but Franke and her business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt, were arrested last week after Franke’s malnourished son ran to a neighbor’s house asking for help, authorities said.
According to a probable cause affidavit acquired by NBC News, the boy had climbed out of a window of Hildebrandt’s home and ran to a neighbor house for help. Franke’s 10-year-old daughter was found at Hildebrandt’s home in a similar malnourished condition.
The Washington County Attorney’s Office said Franke and Hildebrandt are accused of a combination of multiple physical injuries or torture; starvation or malnutrition that jeopardizes life; and causing severe emotional harm to two children.
The attorney’s office has not released any further information on the case, but the investigation is ongoing. Franke and Hildebrandt are currently being held in the Washington County Jail on a $100,000 bond. If convicted, they could face up to life in prison.
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