Ruby Franke TURNS on business partner Jodi Hildebrandt and says she ‘took advantage’ of her desire for self-improvement and ‘twisted it into something heinous’: YouTuber mom is set to enter a plea deal over six counts of felony child abuse

A Utah influencer and “mom blogger” arrested on child molestation charges will take a plea deal Monday — and blames her business partner for causing her to lose her “moral compass.”

Ruby Franke, a 41-year-old mother of six, at one point enjoyed YouTube stardom, racking up a billion views on their parenting channel 8 Passengers, which documented family life, homeschooling and a tough parenting style.

But in August, her world came crashing down and she was arrested after police found her 12-year-old son Russell severely emaciated, injured and bound with duct tape.

The boy was at the home of Franke's business partner Jodi Hildebrandt, who was also arrested and charged with child abuse.

It later emerged that Franke's husband Kevin had left the marital home in Springville, Utah, a year earlier due to differences in parenting styles.

Franke has set up a new YouTube wellness and coaching channel together with Hildebrandt.

Her lawyers did not reveal the details of Franke's plea deal but blamed Hildebrandt for corrupting her.

“Ruby Franke is a devoted mother as well as a woman committed to continuous improvement,” her lawyers said in a statement released Friday.

“Initially, Ms. Franke believed Jodi Hildebrandt had the insight to provide a path to continuous improvement. Mrs. Hildebrandt took advantage of this search and turned it into something gruesome.'

The lawyers allege that Hildebrandt worked to control Franke, portraying her as a Machiavellian force seeking to dominate Franke.

They accuse Hildebrandt of “systematically isolating Ruby Franke from her extended family, older children and her husband, Kevin Franke.”

He filed for divorce last month.

Franke's attorneys allege that Hildebrandt's isolation from Franke left her with a distorted sense of morality shaped by Ms. Hildebrandt's influence.”

They claim the three months in prison gave her perspective and made her realize her mistakes.

“During Ruby Franke's incarceration in the Washington County Jail over the past several months, she has actively participated in an introspection that has allowed her to reset her moral compass and understand the full weight of her actions,” they state.

'Mrs. Franke is determined to take responsibility for the role she played in the events leading up to her incarceration.”

They say Franke is trying to make amends with her family members and “positively contribute to her family's healing journey.”

Hildebrandt's lawyers have not commented on Franke's claims.

Last month, Hildebrandt's niece made similar claims, accusing Hildebrandt of being the “mastermind” behind Franke's abusive parenting.

Jessi Hildebrandt lived with her aunt as a child and said she was tied up, had duct tape over her mouth, blindfolded and isolated for 12 hours a day.

She said she was even forced to sleep outside in the snow.

Hildebrandt has been accused of “destroying” people's lives through her counseling program – which pitted husbands against each other and focused men's teachings on “porn, sex and lust.”

Jessi said she hoped her aunt would not be “sidelined” in the abuse case.

“She's so connected to what's happening – and yes, Ruby should be held accountable because she made those choices, she's just as guilty.

“But Jodi has been doing this much longer,” she said.

Jessi listed the serious abuse she says she experienced while in Hildebrandt's care, saying she “experienced severe emotional, spiritual and psychological abuse.”

'I experienced being told that I shouldn't be around other people, that I was dangerous to be around, people were so afraid of me that I became afraid of myself, I was physically forced to go outside in the snow to sleep I was isolated for up to twelve hours a day,” she explained.

“If someone spoke directly to me, if I wasn't wearing duct tape over my mouth, I had to just stare at them and not respond.”

Jessi told the broadcaster that she “wouldn't be surprised” if the same therapy tactics she experienced were used in Hildebrandt and Franke's company, ConneXions, a self-improvement program that offers DVDs, workshops, workbooks and other materials.

“She (Jodi) is remarkably persuasive. She is also terrifying if you cross her because she has and will systematically destroy your life, she destroys your reputation, she destroys your credibility,” Jessi said.

Hildebrandt was disciplined by Utah's Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing for “unprofessional conduct” and she was removed from the Mormon family's service roll after her license was temporarily placed on probation.

Patients who used her services between 2008 and 2019 claim she divorced their spouses and encouraged them to “cut off” people who were not living “in accordance with her teachings.”

Five men Hildebrandt mentored said they were put into groups to talk about their porn, sex and lust addictions and ended up being kicked out of the house by their partners or refused sex for months as punishment for watching porn.

Franke has six children – Shari, Chad, Abby, Julie, Russell and Eve – and the four youngest are now in the care of Child Protective Services.

Franke's 12-year-old son Russell blew the whistle after claiming Hildebrandt used ropes to tie him up and then dressed his wounds with cayenne pepper and honey, according to search warrants.

The boy escaped from Hildebrandt's home on August 30 with duct tape around his wrists and ankles and begged for food, water and help from neighbors. He told police that two of his other siblings were still there.

Franke had kept the three children under Hildebrandt's care, arrest warrants later revealed.

The blogger's 10-year-old girl was then located at Hildebrandt's home, but police did not find the 14-year-old, according to the search warrant. The two youngest children were taken to hospital.