> At a Glance
> – Kevin Franke gained full custody of his four youngest children after Ruby Franke was sentenced to up to 30 years for aggravated child abuse in December 2023
> – The 8 Passengers patriarch remarried in December 2025 and is suing family therapist Jodi Hildebrandt for her role in the abuse
> – Why it matters: The case exposed how a popular family vlog concealed years of escalating cruelty, sparking calls for tighter oversight of Utah’s child-welfare and life-coaching industries
Kevin Franke’s world imploded on August 30, 2023, when police arrested his estranged wife Ruby and their counselor Jodi Hildebrandt after finding two of their children emaciated and “covered in wounds.” Within six months, Ruby pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse and received a sentence of 4 to 60 years-capped at 30 years under Utah law-while Kevin fought to reclaim his family and reputation.
From YouTube Fame to Family Separation
The couple’s 8 Passengers channel, launched in 2015, chronicled life with six kids in Springville, Utah, ballooning to 2.5 million followers and 1 billion views by 2020. Behind the scenes, Kevin moved out in 2022 after Ruby returned from a ConneXions counseling retreat and declared his “attitude” was “infesting the family.”
- Contact rules allowed Ruby to initiate communication only; she phoned three or four times in a year
- Kevin alleges indoctrination, coercion and gaslighting by Hildebrandt kept him isolated
The Abuse Uncovered
Ruby and Hildebrandt subjected the four youngest children to:
- Starvation and forced labor at Hildebrandt’s Ivins home
- Wounds treated with cayenne pepper and honey
- Hours standing in the sun as punishment for being “evil”
The torture ended when their 12-year-old son escaped and alerted a neighbor, triggering the August arrests.
Clearing Kevin’s Name
Police initially questioned Kevin but quickly confirmed he had lived apart for over a year and had no knowledge of the abuse. Body-camera footage shows him telling officers, “I love my wife,” even as they detailed the children’s injuries. He was cleared as a suspect and never charged.
Life After the Scandal
Kevin’s priorities shifted to healing and advocacy:
- Filed for divorce in November 2023; finalized March 2025 with no alimony and the house awarded to him
- Sued Hildebrandt in April 2024 for emotional distress and negligence to preserve assets for the children
- Testified before Utah lawmakers in July and October 2024, pushing for:
- Temporary child custody on “red-flag” reports
- Independent review of the Division of Child and Family Services
- Remarried Becca Bevan in December 2025, a union his eldest daughter Shari celebrated on Instagram
Key Takeaways
- Kevin Franke now has full custody of the four youngest children; the divorce settlement deems Ruby’s child-support obligation paid
- He continues to advocate for stronger child-welfare laws and regulation of the life-coaching industry in Utah
- The family’s story is retold in two recent streaming series: Devil in the Family (Hulu, February 2025) and Evil Influencer (Netflix, December 2024)
Despite lingering anger toward Ruby, Kevin told media he hopes she “gets the help she needs,” while he focuses on Sunday dinners and rebuilding trust with his kids.
