It's hard to believe that it's already been a year since parenting vlogger Ruby Franke and business partner Jodi Hildebrandt were arrested, but one of Ruby's children is marking the milestone on social media. On Friday, August 30, Chad Franke shared a post on Snapchat in honor of his mother's one-year "prisonversary," opening up about what he was doing around that time just one year earlier.
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August 30 marked exactly one year since Ruby's arrest.
In a screenshot captured by People, 19-year-old Chad shared a snap showing a pre-prison selfie of his mom waving to the camera, simply writing, "Happy Prisonversary."
Chad is just one of Ruby's children. She is also mom to five others: Shari, Abby, Julie, Russell, and Eve.
He also shared what he'd been doing a year earlier.
"A year ago today, I had just gotten off a phone call with Jodi and was going to work a Lifeguard shift," he wrote.
That day, Ruby, who came to fame with her YouTube channel, "8Passengers," which focused on her family and strict parenting style, was arrested and charged with felony aggravated child abuse.
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Ruby was sentenced in February 2024.
Both she and Jodi were sentenced to up to 30 years in prison, each serving four consecutive terms that range between 1 and 15 years each, as CBS News reported earlier this year.
The women were arrested after Ruby's then-12-year-old son Russell managed to escape Jodi's house to ask neighbors for help. When she pleaded guilty, Ruby admitted to the abuse of Russell and his then-9-year-old sister, which included causing the children physical harm and punishing them for drinking water. Ruby's husband, Kevin, has since filed for divorce.
Chad isn't the only Franke child who has spoken out.
In October, the eldest of Ruby's children, 21-year-old Shari, took to Instagram to write about her life turning "upside down."
"I’ve cried, had an infinite number of panic attacks, had way too much ice-cream, and yet life goes on. Therapy has literally saved me, but God has too. My life is somehow becoming more beautiful and fulfilling, despite all the terrible things going on," she wrote at the time. "I’ve tried to live my life to the fullest the last few weeks, even though all I want to do is hide away in my apartment (I do have my days)."
Chad is on his own, but still seems attached to his younger siblings.
He shared a photo of all of them together on Instagram last fall, jumping on a trampoline.
"I love everyone so much in this photo, spending time with them gets me excited to raise my own children," he wrote in his caption. "Each one of these people have taught me how to be a loving brother and future father."
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child), or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7.
