Warning: This article contains discussion of child abuse which some readers may find distressing.
Child abusers Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt were arrested after Franke's 12-year-old son escaped from Hildebrandt's house and started knocking on doors asking for food and water.
The YouTuber mother, who ran a channel posting content of her family online, was sent to prison last year after pleading guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse, along with her Mormon therapist Hildebrandt.
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In court, she admitted to holding her son's head underwater, covering his mouth and nose with her hands, and kicking him while wearing boots.
She also confessed to making her infant son work outside in the scorching hot Utah summer with little food and water, and her other children suffered similar painful abuse at the hands of their mother and Hildebrandt.
When Franke's son escaped from Hildebrandt's house, he was covered in lacerations and had duct tape around his wrists and ankles.
The boy went to neighbouring houses and knocked on doors asking for food and water, the first person to answer one of the doors he knocked on called the police, and the following is a transcript of their call:
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911: "911, the address of your emergency and the phone number you're calling from? Tell me exactly what's happened."
CALLER: "I just had a 12-year-old boy show up here at my front door asking for help and he's said he had just came from a neighbour's house, and we know there's been problems at this neighbour's house. He's emaciated, he's got tape around his legs, he's hungry and he's thirsty."
911: "Ok. Is he, is your door locked?"
CALLER: "No, I'm sitting outside with him on the, on the front patio."
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911: "Ok."
CALLER: "He asked us to call the police. What's your last name? He's very afraid. He's 12 years old. Yes"
911: "Ok, and can you ask him his date of birth?"
CALLER: "Can you tell me your birthday?"
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911: "Ok, and, is, are the neighbours out of their home or is anybody looking for them that you can see?"
CALLER: "No, we, our home's far enough away. I'm not sure. How did you get out of the house? He says he just left through the porch at the neighbour's house. Her name is Jodi Hildebrandt and she lives two doors up the street.
(A voice can be heard in the background telling the caller to say the homes are far apart)
CALLER: "Yeah, the houses are far apart. So he walked just under a block to get to our house. He rang my doorbell and asked me to call the police."
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911: "Does he seem to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol?"
CALLER: "I don't think so, but he's very thirsty and uh..."
911: "And do you need an ambulance?"
CALLER: "I don't think he needs an ambulance, I'll let the cops decide that. But his ankles are taped up and he won't tell us why."
911: "Ok."
CALLER: "He has duct tape around each ankle. Yeah, there's sores around him. I think there's a good chance he's been, oh, and he has them around his ankles. I mean, his wrist as well. Ok this boy has been... he needs..."
(The caller struggles to speak at this point as his voice becomes emotional)
CALLER: "This kid has obviously been, I think he's been, he's been detained. He's been, he's obviously covered in wounds."
911: "Ok. Let's get the paramedics headed over that way."
CALLER: "Oh, that's a good idea too."
911: "Has he told you where his mom or dad are?"
CALLER: "Haven't asked him that. Do you know where your mommy is?"
(A boy can be heard speaking)
CALLER: "Yeah I'm sure that that doesn't matter, son. Do you know where your mom and dad are?"
CHILD: "Well, actually I don't know where my mom is but I do know where my dad is. He's not (indistinct) here."
CALLER: "He doesn't seem to, he knows where his mom is.
911: "He doesn't know where his dad is."
CALLER: "That's correct."
911: "Is his mom home?"
CALLER: "He just says he doesn't live around here. Is your mom around here, have you seen her lately? He doesn't know where she is right now."
911: "Does he know his mom's name?"
CALLER: "What's your mom's name? Ruby Franke? Ruby Franke is his mom's name."
911: "Ok. How do you spell the last name?"
(A voice spells out the surname)
CALLER: "F-r-a-n-k-e."
911: "And does she live in the area?"
CALLER: "No, I'm not sure where she lives. He's, he's trying to help us, but he's..."
911: "Ok, we don't want to stress him out too much. The officers will go over all these questions with him anyway. I just want to stay on the phone with you until we get some help there, Ok? Can you ask him if any other children were in the home he came from?"
CALLER: "Ok. Was there any other kids up at Jodi's house? Anybody else? Yeah."
911: "And they're, they're still at this house that, are they tied up as well?"
CALLER: "What's the deal with, are they being held? Do they have wounds on them as well?"
(The boy answers)
"So they're, they're able to walk around the house and everything. He says everything's fine with them. He says he, what's happened to him is his fault."
911: "Oh dear. They're coming to you as quick as they can. OK."
CALLER: "Ok, yeah. He's fine, I got him sitting here and my wife, we got him water and giving him something to eat because he's really, he's hungry and he's here in his stocking feet. So he, he escaped."
911: "Well, I'm glad that he was able to make it to where he could be safe. They should just be pulling up now, let me know when they're with you, ok?"
CALLER: "Will do. I hear a car but they're not coming on the driveway."
(There is a pause and noises in the background)
Caller: "You did good, enjoy that banana, ok? You did the right thing."
911: "He just (indistinct) a few seconds ago, he might be waiting for his partner, I'm not sure."
Caller: "Is Jodi up there right now?"
(The boy answers)
"Ok, Jodi Hildebrandt is up there right now."
911: "Ok."
CALLER: "So she may come looking for him here soon but, he's not obviously. Alright, we need the cops here as soon as possible."
911: "Ok, let's see, I'm just asking where he is now."
CALLER: "Yeah, she's a, she's a bad lady. We didn't realize how bad."
911: "I'm just asking where he is. Sounds like he's making a phone call real quick, to a sergeant. He is going to head up."
CALLER: "Ok, all right. Well, if we have to take him inside the house we will. We're just sitting outside right now because we have chairs out here and it was convenient."
911: "That's Ok. If anything, he's sitting out down your driveway and keeping an eye on the house. So if that's where you feel safe, that's where the child feels safe and let's just stay where you're at."
CALLER: "Yeah, I think we're doing this. Yes."
911: "Does he have anything with him?"
CALLER: "No, he's wearing a long sleeved shirt and shorts and, it's way too big for him."
911: "Can you tell me what colour the shirt and-"
CALLER: "Ok, the ambulance is here. So-"
911: "Are they with you?"
CALLER: "No, they're, they're just not getting out of the truck."
911: "Ok then, I'll go ahead and I'll let you go then. You did a great job."
CALLER: "Ok, thank you."
f you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000, 10am-8pm Monday to Friday. If you are a child seeking advice and support, call Childline for free on 0800 1111, 24/7.
Joe Harker