PROVO, Utah (ABC4) – The attorney for Kevin Franke, husband of YouTube vlogger Ruby Franke, has publicly stated his client was not present or aware of the alleged child abuse Ruby has been charged with.

Randy Kester made an appearance on News Nation on Wednesday, September 6. He stated that his client was not aware or present in the St. George home where the alleged abuse took place.  He pointed out the children were in the custody of their mother for the summer, and she had taken them out of Utah County without Kevin Franke’s knowledge.

Kester said he was unable to comment on the behavior of Ruby Franke in any ill manner because the parties involved were trying to “keep the kids out of social media… and do what we can to get these kids back to a good life.”

When pressed for comment on Kevin’s time in the home and during the making of the “8 Passengers” vlog, Kester said he would make no comments on any accusations leveled against the couple while they were still together.

Jodi Hildebrandt (left) and Ruby Franke (right) were charged with six counts of aggravated child abuse on September 1, 2023.

Franke and her business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt, were arrested on August 30, 2023, after one of Ruby Franke’s children reportedly climbed out of a window of an Ivins, Utah residence owned by Hildebrandt and ran to a neighbor’s home. The child was asking for food and water. The neighbor observed duct tape on the child’s wrists and ankles and contacted law enforcement.

Law enforcement then searched the home where the child had reportedly escaped from and found another one of Franke’s minor children hiding in the home. The children were found to be severely malnourished, and one had lacerations from being tied up.

The two children from the incident, as well as two other Franke children, have been taken into state care. The couple have two children who are no longer minors.

ABC4.com has reached out to Kester for a statement on behalf of Kevin Franke and has not heard back at this time.