The estranged husband of Ruby Franke -- a mom who rose to fame on YouTube and later pleaded guilty to child abuse -- is now speaking out to warn other families about the dangers of social media.
Kevin Franke -- who shares six children with Ruby Franke, whom he filed for divorce from in 2023 -- spoke to ABC News' Eva Pilgrim in an exclusive interview, his first since Ruby Franke was sentenced in February 2024 to four consecutive sentences of one to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to aggravated child abuse of two of her children.
"I want people to know that there is real danger when you place yourself or your family or children out onto public social media," Kevin Franke told Pilgrim in an interview alongside his eldest son, Chad.
"There are real consequences associated with that, and I want people to know that, to be just careful with who they choose to follow, with who they choose to put on a pedestal and to put their faith and to put their trust in,” he continued. “Because if you put your trust in the wrong person, it can have massive consequences in your life."
Ruby Franke became known in the public eye by sharing her family on YouTube and offering parenting advice, some of it controversial.
Tune into "Good Morning America" on Tuesday, Feb. 24, at 7 a.m. ET, to watch more of Eva Pilgrim's interview with Kevin Franke and Chad Franke.
She was arrested in Utah in August 2023 after her and Kevin Franke's 12-year-old son escaped through the window of her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt's home and ran to a neighbor's house, pleading for food and water. Authorities said they also found Ruby Franke's 10-year-old malnourished daughter inside the home and said they believed the mother-of-six "had knowledge of [the] malnourishment, abuse and neglect."
Ruby Franke's daughter Shari speaks out about mom's arrest, says she was abused as a childAt the time of her arrest, Ruby Franke and Kevin Franke had been separated and living in separate homes for one year, Kevin Franke's attorney told ABC News at the time. In November 2023, Kevin Franke filed a petition for divorce in Utah.
One month later, in December 2023, Ruby Franke and Hildebrandt, the founder of Connexions Classroom, both pleaded guilty to four counts of child abuse in Washington County 5th District Court in Utah. Hildebrandt was sentenced to the same four consecutive terms of one to 15 years following Franke.
In their plea agreements, Franke and Hildebrandt admitted to inflicting or allowing another adult to inflict serious physical injuries upon Franke's two youngest children between May and August 2023.
Ruby Franke's daughter speaks out to lawmakers on family vlogging dangersTwo other charges were dismissed against Franke, according to the Washington County Attorney's Office. She agreed to serve consecutive sentences as part of her plea agreement.
"Ruby Franke wants to take responsibility for the harm she has caused to her children and to her entire family. She knows that by pleading guilty and accepting the punishment, she is taking a step in the right direction to be accountable for her actions," Ruby Franke's attorneys said in a statement to ABC News at the time of her guilty plea.
Ruby Franke's journey from having a YouTube following of millions to serving prison time is explored in a new Hulu series "Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke." The series, debuting on Feb. 27, is the first time Kevin Franke and his son Chad are speaking out to share their own story.
The series also features Kevin Franke and Ruby Franke's eldest daughter, Shari Franke, who alleged in an interview with Pilgrim in January that she was abused by her mother throughout her childhood.
Shari Franke, whose memoir, "The House of My Mother: A Daughter's Quest for Freedom," was published in January, also claimed that she was cut off from the family when she left for college.
Kevin Franke told Pilgrim he hopes people watch the series to learn more about what the family experienced as their lives were played out on social media and in the press.
"I think what you'll see is something very, very different than what you thought you knew," he said.
Tune into "Good Morning America" on Tuesday, Feb. 24, at 7 a.m. ET, to watch more of Eva Pilgrim's interview with Kevin Franke and Chad Franke.
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