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The eldest daughter of Ruby Franke, the Utah parenting blogger convicted of child abuse in February, is sounding a warning to parents who post photos and videos of their children on blogs.
Franke, a 41-year-old mother of six, and her friend Jodi Hildebrandt, a 54-year-old mother of two, ran a joint parenting and lifestyle YouTube channel called ConneXions Classrooms. In December, both pleaded guilty in a St. George courtroom to four of six counts of second-degree aggravated child abuse inflicted upon two of the Frankes’ children.
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“When children become stars in their family’s online content, they become child influencers,” Franke said in a statement before the Utah House of Representatives on Oct. 16. “It is more than just filming your family life and putting it online. It is a full-time job, with employees, business credit cards, managers, and marketing strategies. The difference between family vlogging and a normal business, however, is that the employees are all children. Children, from before they are born to the day they turn 18, have become the stars of family businesses on YouTube, Instagram, and most other social media platforms.”
Prior to ConneXions Classrooms, Franke ran her own parenting vlog, or video blog, on social media called 8Passengers, representing herself, her husband and their eight children.
MOMMY BLOGGER RUBY FRANKE’S HUSBAND SAYS ‘SOME CRAZY S–T’ WENT ON IN ABUSE ACCOMPLICE’S $5.3M FORTRESS
Blogger Ruby Franke pleaded guilty to child abuse in Utah.(Instagram/moms_of_truth)
Shari noted that Utah is a “hotspot for family content” due to the state’s culture surrounding the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS), noting that the goal of the church is to “share” that culture “with the world.”
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“[T]here is NEVER, never a good reason for posting your children online for money or fame.”
— Shari Franke
“We also have large families, which makes family content more lucrative,” Shari noted. “Specifically, many parents film their regular family life as an online video blog, called vlogging. But I want to be clear that there is NEVER, never a good reason for posting your children online for money or fame.”
Ruby Franke ran a joint YouTube page called ConneXions with Jodi Hildebrandt that aimed to teach some 4,650 followers how to “successfully navigate life.”(Instagram/moms_of_truth)
Franke teamed up with Hildebrandt, a formerly licensed therapist, in 2022, and the pair decided to start their own parenting vlog on YouTube, often staying together in Hildebrandt’s multi-million dollar home in St. George with Franke’s children. They also hosted conferences throughout the country aimed at giving parenting advice to those having trouble disciplining their children.
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“There is no such thing as a moral or ethical family vlogger.”
— Shari Franke
Shari said her mother’s blog became the primary source of income for her household, but sometimes the money that her mother’s vlogging work brought to the table was used as a “bribe.”
Parenting blogger Jodi Hildebrandt pleaded guilty to four of six counts of aggravated child abuse in connection with the physical and emotional harm of two of her co-host’s children.(Sheldon Demke/ St. George News/ Pool)
“For example, we’d be rewarded $100 or a shopping trip if we filmed a particularly embarrassing moment, or an exciting event,” Shari explained. “Or other times, simply going on vacation was expected to be payment enough—because most kids don’t get to go on regular and expensive vacations or trips. Never mind the fact that the child’s labor is actually what paid for the vacation or trip. There is no law in place to guarantee child influencers get any money from their work.”
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She has since been calling on Utah lawmakers to consider implementing certain protections for child influencers.
YOUTUBE MOMMY BLOGGERS ARRESTED ON ALLEGATIONS OF CHILD ABUSE: ‘FINALLY’
Most families in the area were aware that Franke had a YouTube channel called 8Passengers, her neighbor told Fox News Digital. When she started another vlog called “Moms of Truth”/ ConneXions on Facebook with Hildebrandt, “a few” neighbors became “very concerned” with the content, the neighbor said.(Moms of Truth/Instagram)
In 2023, the two pals and business partners were arrested for abusing Franke’s two youngest children, a 9-year-old girl and 12-year-old boy. Some of the abuse occurred in Hildebrandt’s home.
UTAH CHILDREN’S BOOK AUTHOR SENT DAMNING TEXT TO LOVER BEFORE HUBBY POISON PLOT: DOCS
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The allegations against Franke and Hildebrandt only came to light after Franke’s son fled Hildebrandt’s Ivins home and ran to a neighbor, who called 911 after seeing the malnourished boy with duct tape on his wrists and ankles.
HEAR THE 911 CALL:
“For the past four years, I’ve chosen to follow counsel and guidance that has led me into a dark delusion,” a teary Franke said in a statement during her February sentencing hearing. “My distorted version of reality went largely unchecked as I would isolate from anyone who challenged me. I was led to believe this world was an evil place, filled with cops who control, hospitals that injure, government agencies that brainwash, church leaders who lie and lust, husbands who refuse to protect, children who need abuse.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE TRUE CRIME FROM FOX NEWS
“Kevin, my husband of more than 23 years, you are the love of my life. I’m so sorry to leave to you what we both started together,” Franke continued through sobs. “The ending of our marriage is a tragedy, and you are wrapped around my heart in a knot I’ll never be able to undo. To my babies, my six little chicks, you are part of me. I was the momma duck who was consistently waddling you to safety. . . . In the past four years, I was consistently leading you to danger. . . . I was so disoriented that I believed dark was light and right was wrong.”
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Ruby Franke and her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt were arrested and charged after Santa Clara police received a dispatch call asking for help.(Instagram/moms_of_truth)
Franke and Hildebrandt were both sentenced to serve four consecutive terms between one and 15 years each for each charge.
Shari’s comments before the Utah legislature on October 16 came 10 days ahead of the premiere of a Lifetime movie about her mother titled, “Mormon Mom Gone Wrong.”
Shari said on her Instagram story posted on October 4 that she and her siblings had never been contacted about the film and will not receive any proceeds.
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“This movie is trash, and only hurts my siblings more. Please do not support this movie,” she wrote at the time.
Simon and Schuster is set to publish Shari’s upcoming book, “The House of My Mother,” on January 7.
Recently, I was asked to talk about what it is like to be a female rancher.
I was flattered to be asked, but I don’t know the answer.
I do know what it is like to be a human rancher and I know that I admire many women who also are ranchers.
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In fact, 36 percent of the farmers and ranchers in the U.S. are women and they manage almost half of America’s ag land.
Globally, we produce more than half of all food.
In Montana, we all benefit from amazing female leaders in agriculture.
If you want to know about improving soil health or the rewards of raising sheep, talk to Linda Poole in Malta.
If you want to learn how to organize a grassroots rancher’s organization and effect meaningful change, talk to Maggie Nutter in Sunburst.
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Trina Bradley of Dupuyer will look you in the eye and tell you everything you need to know about the impacts of grizzlies on her ranch life.
Colleen Gustafson, on the Two Med, graciously hosts and educates non-ranchers for months at a time without strangling them, all while maintaining every fence, buying every bull and killing every weed on her ranch.
Adele Stenson of Wibaux and Holly Stoltz of Livingston find innovative solutions to ranching challenges and then — even harder — find ways to share these innovations with hard-headed, independent cusses who want to do it our own way.
In fact, I’ve noticed that often women seek novel innovations to deal with a ranching challenge.
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If a man happens to be around, she might even run it past him.
It’s rubber band ranching – stretch with an idea, contract to assess it, then stretch again to implement it.
Long ago, my friend Michelle and I promoted the One Good Cow program at the Montana Stockgrowers Association meeting.
We asked cattle producers to donate one cow to ranchers who had lost so many in blizzards and floods that year.
As we stood on stage in a room full of dour, silent men, I remember finding the one person I knew and asking what he thought.
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Just as he would bid at a livestock auction, he barely nodded his approval.
We ended up gathering more than 900 cows from across the nation and giving them to 67 producers.
One Good Cow was a good idea.
Now I don’t seek approval for my ideas so sometimes my rubber band doesn’t contract to assess one before I stretch into action.
That’s how I got myself into producing shelf-stable, ready-to-eat meals made with my beef and lamb.
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This is a good idea, too.
I hope.
I wonder if it is easier to ranch as a woman in some ways.
Society pressures men to know all of the answers all of the time, but If I mess up, I try to learn from my mistake and move forward.
When Imposter Syndrome hits or we can’t find a solution to an unsolvable problem – the effects of climate change, commodity markets or competing demands from family – secretly faking it until we make it gets lonely.
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The downward spiral of loneliness and the pressure to be perfect can lead to suicide.
Male ranchers kill themselves 3.5 times more often than the general public.
Female ranchers kill themselves, too, just a little less often.
I’m fortunate to have good friends who love me even when I’m far from perfect.
We laugh together, they remind me that I have a few good attributes even when I forget, they tolerate my weirdness and celebrate little successes.
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They stave off loneliness.
They know all ranchers try our best, we appreciate a little grace, and a warm fire feels good to our cold fingers.
Lisa Schmidt raises grass-fed beef and lamb at the Graham Ranch near Conrad. Lisa can be reached at L.Schmidt@a-land-of-grass-ranch.com.
EUREKA COUNTY, Nev. (KOLO) – On Friday, Feb. 27, the Nevada State Police assisted with a cattle crossing on State Route 306 at Interstate 80 in Eureka County.
“While not an everyday part of our job, we like to do our part to assist our local ranchers while keeping traffic from turning into udder chaos,” according to an agency Facebook post. “It was a perfect opportunity to be outside (even if our animal friends were a little moo-dy).”
Expect the offenses to shine when SDSU visits New Mexico in The Pit today, per our college basketball betting picks.
Feb 28, 2026 • 10:23 ET
• 4 min read
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Photo By – Reuters Connect. San Diego State Aztecs guard Reese Dixon-Waters.
The San Diego State Aztecs pulled into a tie for first place in the Mountain West Conference with a win over top-seeded Utah State. Now, they try to stay there when they visit a team just below them in the standings in the New Mexico Lobos.
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My San Diego State vs. New Mexico predictions and college basketball picks believe the high stakes will translate to a high-scoring affair on Saturday, February 28.
San Diego State vs New Mexico prediction
San Diego State vs New Mexico best bet: Over 148.5 (-116)
The New Mexico Lobos had a three-game win streak snapped with a 67-60 loss at Nevada, their second-lowest point total of the season.
They return home, where they are averaging 92.2 points per game in the last 10.
The San Diego State Aztecs have the fourth-ranked offense in the conference. They hung 89 on Utah State in a 17-point blowout win.
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They’ve won seven of 11, including an 89-73 triumph over UNM.
The Lobos have combined with their opponents to score better than 151 points in six straight at home.
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San Diego State vs New Mexico same-game parlay
The Aztecs are coming off their biggest win of the season, and if they can pick up this W at New Mexico, they will be in the drivers’ seat for the Mountain West regular season crown.
SDSU has held its own on the road this year, going 5-3 this season.
San Diego State vs New Mexico SGP
Over 148.5
San Diego State moneyline
San Diego State vs New Mexico odds
Spread: San Diego State +2.5 | New Mexico -2.5
Moneyline: San Diego State +125 | New Mexico -150
Over/Under: Over 149.5 | Under 149.5
San Diego State vs New Mexico betting trend to know
San Diego State has hit the 1H Moneyline in 18 of its last 25 games (+12.40 Units / 9% ROI). Find more college basketball betting trends for San Diego State vs. New Mexico.
How to watch San Diego State vs New Mexico
Location
The Pit, Albuquerque, NM
Date
Saturday, February 28, 2026
Tip-off
2:00 p.m. ET
TV
CBS
San Diego State vs New Mexico key injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
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Eric has been involved in sports media in many different capacities since graduating from journalism school in 1999, back when getting your own column in a newspaper was still considered a thing. He doubled down and graduated from broadcast journalism school five years later, which led to a move to Toronto and a career with The Sports Network (TSN). From behind-the-scenes production work, he moved into the digital realm, where he had his own hoops column (At the Buzzer), while regularly live streaming and chatting with fans during broadcasts as the character known as LeBlog James. He was also a key contributor to TSN and CTV’s Olympic programming during the 2012 London Games.
Eric eventually found his way into the sports betting field in 2016 and has been a mainstay ever since. He was tagged on Twitter as a Top 10 NBA sharp during the 2021 season and has been interviewed about basketball and his handicapping process on shows from Vancouver to India. Eric is now a jack-of-all-sports at Covers, where his predictions span the alphabet soup: NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, F1, WNBA, Euro, and Copa.
When making picks, he focuses on finding value first and foremost, and ensuring readers have all the information they need to make an informed choice.