Just over a year ago, former family vlogger Ruby Franke from Springville, Utah was sentenced to prison for child abuse, sparking a movement to pass legislation aimed at protecting children featured in social media content. Earlier this month, Utah became the fourth state — and the first red state — to enact such legislation.
Franke launched her YouTube channel, “8 Passengers,” in 2015, sharing her daily life as a Mormon mother of six. The channel grew rapidly, reaching a peak of 3 million subscribers and generating over $100,000 per month. However, in 2020, concerns about her parenting methods intensified after a video revealed her eldest son, Chad, being forced to sleep on a beanbag chair for seven months.
The situation escalated when Jodi Hildebrandt, a Mormon therapist and founder of the counseling business ConneXions, was brought in to help with Chad’s behavioral issues. Hildebrandt’s license was previously suspended in 2012 due to confidentiality breaches. She later counseled Franke’s other children and husband. As her friendship with Franke deepened, Hildebrandt began living with the family and even possibly having a physical relationship with Franke. Soon after, Franke kicked Chad and her then husband, Kevin, out of the family home.
Neighbors grew concerned as Franke would leave her young children home alone while visiting Hildebrandt at her house. Kevin was also unresponsive to neighbors’ phone calls, honoring Franke’s wishes for no contact, while attempting to please Hildebrandt by attending weekly online sessions with the ConneXions mens’ group. The Utah Division of Child and Family Services was unable to intervene despite widespread concerns, as they could not find any signs of physical abuse since the children were not permitted to answer the door.
The situation reached a critical point when Franke’s 12-year-old son escaped from Hildebrandt’s house, seeking help from a neighbor and requesting to be taken to the police. He was found emaciated and covered in wounds. His 10-year-old sister was also discovered in a distressing condition, having been forced to perform physical labor in extreme heat. Both children suffered abuse as Franke and Hildebrandt, driven by religious extremism, believed they were demonic.
The Hulu docuseries, “Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke” (2025) features shocking footage that sheds light on Franke’s abusive practices, along with interviews from her two oldest children and Kevin, now ex-husband.
Shortly after Franke’s arrest in late 2023, Kevin filed for divorce, claiming he was unaware of the abuse and he felt pressured to leave the family. In 2024, both Franke and Hildebrandt pleaded guilty to four counts of child abuse. They faced four counts of aggravated child abuse, each carrying a potential prison sentence of one to 15 years.
The media attention surrounding the family prompted the Utah State government to pass legislation protecting minors featured in social media content. Kevin expressed deep regret over allowing Franke to share their family’s life online, highlighting that children cannot consent or understand the impact of exposing their personal lives to the public. He publicly supported the HB322 bill, which aims to ensure that children are compensated for their content and have the right to remove it upon reaching adulthood.
The new legislation requires that money earned from online content by children be placed in trust funds, with creators earning over $150,000 annually required to allocate 15% of their income for this purpose. Children can access these funds once they turn 18.
Franke’s story is not unique; it highlights a broader issue of child exploitation in the media and entertainment industries. Her case, along with the accompanying docuseries, has intensified calls for legal protections to safeguard children from such exploitation. However, the rights of child media personalities remain largely unaddressed, with most states failing to take necessary action. As the age of social media continues, it begs the question: is enough being done to prevent a similar story from being repeated again?
