In a recent court hearing, Ruby Franke, a YouTube personality and mother, leveled accusations of abuse against her own children.
The hearing was convened to determine the temporary placement of the children while Franke faces six counts of felony child abuse.
As reported by the Daily Mail, Franke, 41, alleged that one of her children started viewing pornography at the tender age of three and had sexually abused a younger sibling for years, eventually extending the abuse to other family members and neighborhood children.
She further claimed that the child confessed in May to abusing 20 different individuals, although she was unable to substantiate any of these allegations. Given the severity of the accusations, the presiding judge stated that the child "will need to be placed in a home with no other children."
During the hearing, an attorney from the public viewing area requested the judge to consider the statement of a mother of one of the alleged victims present in the courtroom. However, the judge denied the request, stating that the details could be discussed at a later date.
Franke's husband, through his legal representative, told the media, "He's been instructed by the court not to comment to the press. Out of respect for the children involved we have no comment."
Franke, known for her stringent parenting style, is the creator of the YouTube channel "8 Passengers." She was arrested on August 30 on charges of child abuse after law enforcement discovered two malnourished children with visible wounds and duct tape around their limbs at her residence.
The Santa Clara-Ivins Public Safety Department in Washington County, Utah, disclosed that it had received a distress call from a juvenile requesting food and water. The department's statement read, "The conditions were so severe that they were seen by Santa Clara-Ivins EM and transported to a local area hospital."
Following the arrest of Franke and her business associate, Jodi Hildebrandt, Franke's family expressed relief. Her eldest daughter, Shari, 20, stated on social media, "Today has been a big day. Me and my family are so glad justice is being served." She further added, "We've been trying to tell the police and CPS for years about this, and so glad they finally decided to step up. Kids are safe, but there's a long road ahead. Please keep them in your prayers and also respect their privacy."
Franke's sisters, Ellie Mecham, Bonnie Hoellein, and Julie Deru, admitted they had been aware of Franke's treatment of her children for three years but had "kept quiet on the subject of our sister Ruby Franke for the sake of her children." They added, "Behind the public scene we have done everything we could to try and make sure the kids were safe."
The court has scheduled a mediation hearing for September 15 and a pre-trial hearing for September 18.
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