New Netflix True Crime Documentary Reveals Shocking Details of Infamous Child Abuse Case

A new Netflix documentary, Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story, sheds light on a shocking case of child abuse linked to the momfluencer Ruby Franke. The film opens with chilling security footage of a malnourished 12-year-old boy, covered in wounds, asking a neighbor for help.

Authorities soon discovered he and his 9-year-old sister were being abused by Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt, a life coach and influential figure in Utah’s Mormon community, according to Netflix’s Tudum.

The children had been kept in Hildebrandt’s home under harsh and controlling conditions. They were forced to perform punishing physical tasks, denied basic needs like food and beds, and restricted from contacting the outside world. The abuse was justified by Hildebrandt and Franke as a way to “cast out evil spirits” and punish the children for their so-called sins.

“If that young boy hadn’t escaped that day, I think those kids probably wouldn’t be with us today,” director Skye Borgman told Tudum.

The documentary explores how Hildebrandt’s influence within her church and her friendship with Franke contributed to the abuse.

It also traces Franke’s rise as a parenting influencer on the now-defunct YouTube channel 8 Passengers, where she and her then-husband Kevin shared content about raising their six children. Fans of the channel had long accused the family of abusive behavior, which gained attention after a Change.org petition in 2020, according to NBC News.

Franke’s criminal case concluded in 2023. She pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse and was sentenced in February 2024 to four consecutive terms of one to 15 years. She is currently serving her sentence at Utah State Correctional Facility, with a first parole hearing scheduled for December 2026. Borgman noted that in prison, Franke appears to have distanced herself from Hildebrandt, which she believes may help Franke reflect on her actions.

Kevin Franke, meanwhile, has become an advocate for stricter child welfare laws. After divorcing Ruby in March 2024, he married Becca Bevin in November.

His children, Shari and Chad, are reportedly moving on with their lives. Shari, 22, released a memoir in January titled The House of My Mother: A Daughter’s Quest for Freedom, while Chad, 20, recently got married. Borgman said, “I think they’re moving on and trying to find some form of normal.”

Hildebrandt also pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse and received the same sentence as Franke. She is serving her time at the same facility but in a separate section.

Her company, ConneXions, is no longer operating. Borgman explained that people in Hildebrandt’s former community are eager to share their experiences, saying, “They wanted to tell their story of how Jodi manipulated them, how she used sort of this intersection of trust and power and harm to really obscure their own sense of self and family and religion, and how it can happen to pretty much anybody.”

Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story is now streaming on Netflix, offering viewers a stark look at a case that shocked the nation.

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