Ruby Franke reportedly made shocking sexual abuse allegations about one of her six children during a hearing for charges she faces for aggravated child abuse in Provo, Utah, Thursday.
The disgraced YouTuber, 41, claimed during a court appearance that one of her minor kids abused a sibling and molested “several” other family members and neighbors for “years,” according to the Daily Mail.
Franke — who appeared via video from a Utah jail — reportedly also claimed that the troubled child began looking at pornography at 3 years old.
After the unnamed kid allegedly began abusing a younger sibling, the alleged victim also began participating in sexual abuse, the outlet claims the former family vlogger also said.
The molestation was reportedly disguised by a “patting” game, but no further details were provided.
Franke alleged that the child who began the sexual abuse confessed their crimes to her in May.
The social media star did not provide any evidence of her disturbing claims, per the Daily Mail.
However, at one point during the hearing, an attorney in the courtroom claiming to represent one of the mothers of a molestation victim asked to be heard.
Ruby Franke arrest: What you need to know
Ruby Franke was a “momfluencer” who had one of YouTube’s biggest channels, “8 Passengers,” which documented her and her husband, Kevin, and their six kids.
Franke was arrested on Aug. 30, 2023, on two counts of aggravated child abuse and could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.
Franke’s arrest came after an emaciated child with duct tape around their extremities escaped and ran to a neighbor’s house for help.
Franke’s sisters released a joint statement saying they did everything they could to protect their nieces and nephews “behind the public scene” and that the arrest “needed to happen.”
Through a lawyer, Franke’s husband denied having any part in the abuse.
Franke in court accused one of her own children of sexually abusing a sibling for years.
YouTube has deleted Franke’s account and banned her from the platform.
The judge reportedly denied that attorney’s request, stating that those claims could be heard at a later time, but noted that the alleged abusive child would need to “be placed in a home with no other children.”
According to the Daily Mail, the hearing took only about 30 minutes, but two of Franke’s older children were present when their mother’s damning claims were made.
Her husband, Kevin Franke, who previously said via his attorney that he had no part in the alleged abuse inside his household, was also reportedly at the hearing but did not comment.
The Franke family’s deep, dark secrets first came to light when Ruby was taken into custody on Aug. 30 over suspicions of aggravated child abuse.
Earlier this week, she and her business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt, were charged with four additional counts of child abuse for allegedly causing or permitting “serious physical injury to the victims in three different ways: (1) a combination of multiple physical injuries or torture, (2) starvation or malnutrition that jeopardizes life, and (3) causing severe emotional harm,” per the Washington County Attorney’s Office.
Since the abuse allegations have become public, signs of Ruby’s concerning behavior have resurfaced online.
The “8 Passengers” host once refused to bring her 6-year-old lunch to teach her a “lesson.” She also punished her son Chad by having him sleep on a beanbag for seven months.
The alleged abuse that led to Ruby’s arrest, though, was when an emaciated child with duct tape around their legs fled a home and ran to a neighbor’s house, sparking an investigation.
