Where Ruby Franke’s husband Kevin is now after disturbing details of abuse revealed in harrowing documentary

In February 2024, Ruby Franke - the mum-of-six behind YouTube channel 8Passengers - was sentenced to four consecutive terms of between one and 15 years in prison after she pleaded guilty to child abuse.

Her business partner and mental health counsellor Jodi Hildebrandt, 54, was given the same sentence for being complicit in the abuse of Franke's children.

The horrific abuse, which was uncovered after one of the children escaped and got help from a neighbour, is detailed in Hulu's Devil In The Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke.

Among a handful of participants interviewed in the three-part docu-series are two of Franke's eldest children - Shari and Chad - who revealed the punishments that Ruby, 43, would inflict upon them and their siblings when the cameras stopped rolling.

"She would spank, whip, take the belt out and whip my butt. You know, pull down my pants, you know, whip me," Chad shared in one clip.

And, once Hildebrandt moved into the family home, the children were subjected to further horrendous abuse, including being restrained by duct tape around their ankles and malnourishment.

Both Franke and Hildebrandt were arrested on child abuse charges after a neighbour was alerted by Ruby's 'emaciated' 12-year-old son who'd escaped and knocked on their door to ask for help.

Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt were both sentenced to up to 15 years in jail for child abuse (YouTube/ConneXions)

Following the revelations about the abuse, Ruby's estranged husband Kevin Franke said it felt 'like a sucker punch.' He was not charged with any crimes.

Prior to the Hulu series' release, he spoke to PEOPLE about his relationship with Ruby.

"I'm not ashamed to say that after being married over 20 years to that woman, I truly did and still do love her," he admitted.

"But that doesn't excuse what she did, and it doesn't excuse how she hurt our children and how she hurt me... I'm going to do what's best for my children, for my family, and for myself, and that's not going to include her."

Since Ruby's conviction, Kevin - who has since filed for divorce - has concentrated on repairing his relationship with his children, hoping to heal their 'past trauma and events' and seek justice for the abuse they endured.

Since her conviction, Ruby's husband Kevin Franke has been focusing on rebuilding his relationship with his children (Instagram)

He has also been advocating for stronger welfare laws in Utah, appearing in front of state legislators last year to propose that child welfare workers should be allowed to take temporary custody of children when they receive 'reported red flags' from friends, family members or neighbours.

"The child welfare system in this state is broken. It failed my children in their time of greatest need."

And, although they were already separated, Kevin filed an official petition of divorce against Ruby in November 2023, revealing earlier this year that they were close to settling the divorce.

Devil In The Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke is now available to stream on Hulu.

Full timeline of the Ruby Franke case

Starting a YouTube channel and initial suspicions

Franke started her parenting YouTube channel 8 Passengers with now ex-husband Kevin, amassing over 2.5 million subscribers before it was deleted in 2023 following the arrest.

Several subscribers became suspicious of child abuse, with a petition being signed for the police to investigate the family, citing the numerous questionable videos uploaded.

Franke joins ConneXions with Jodi Hildebrandt

The mum told critics in a 2021 interview for The Wrap that she was showing everyone 'what a responsible mother looks like'.

She stopped uploading videos to the channel in 2022, joining Mormon therapist Hildebrandt's ConneXions podcast.

Their divisive opinions on subjects such as eating disorders, blaming rape victims, and criticising immigrants drew the wrong kind of attention.

Franke and Hildebrandt's arrest

Franke and Hildebrandt were arrested on child abuse charges in August 2023.

The Santa Clara Public Safety Department were called to the Ivins neighbourhood in Utah after a neighbour was alerted by Franke's 'emaciated' 12-year-old son, who escaped to knock on their door to ask for help.

He had visible marks and wounds from duct tape put around his ankles, and asked for some food and water.

Police found his 10-year-old sister in a 'similar physical condition of malnourishment' in Hildebrandt's house.

Family members speak out

Franke's oldest daughter, Shari, wrote on Instagram on the day of the arrests: “Today has been a big day."

She continued: "Me and my family are so glad justice is being served. We've been trying to tell the police and CPS for years about this, and so glad they finally decided to step up."

In November, Kevin also officially filed for divorce from Franke, and called her actions to their children 'horrific and inhumane'.

Franke and Hildebrandt are charged with six counts of child abuse

Just one week after their arrests, the pair were charged with six counts of felony child abuse.

YouTube banned Franke, deleting both 8 Passengers and ConneXions channels and blocking her from the social media platform.

Franke blames the abuse on Hildebrandt

Her attorneys released a statement that said: “Initially, Ms. Franke believed that Jodi Hildebrandt had the insight to offer a path to continual improvement. Ms. Hildebrandt took advantage of this quest and twisted it into something heinous," according to Fox13.

It blamed Hildebrandt solely for isolating Franke from her family completely, distorting her morality.

Franke pleads guilty

Just three days after the statement was released, Franke pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse. A court had heard how she had tried to convince her youngest children they were 'evil and possessed'.

Franke and Hildebrandt are sentenced to prison for child abuse

On 20 February 2024, Franke and Hildebrandt were convicted and given four separate prison sentences for one to 15 years, with the length of each sentence decided by the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole.

During sentencing Franke apologised to her children and said she would 'never stop crying for hurting their tender souls'.

She said: "My willingness to sacrifice all for you was masterfully manipulated into something very ugly.

"I took from you all that was soft and safe and good."

The two women will not serve more than 30 years in a Federal Penitentiary because of a Utah law about consecutive sentences.

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000, 10am-8pm Monday to Friday. If you are a child seeking advice and support, call Childline for free on 0800 1111, 24/7.