Moms of Truth/ Instagram
Content Warning: This story contains descriptions of alleged child abuse.
Officers from the Santa Clara-Ivins Police Department say that they found the 12-year-old with duct tape around his ankles and that he appeared “emaciated” and “abnormally thin and weak.”
“The victim informed officers and medical personnel that the wounds were from the rope that was used to tie the victim to the ground,” a statement establishing the grounds for a search warrant read, according to the news outlets. “The victim informed officers that ‘Jodi’ put the ropes on their ankles and wrists and that ‘they’ used cayenne pepper and honey to dress the wounds.”
Officers seized a number of items from the home, including “Scott’s Tape and Saran wrap,” as well as notes and journals, two bowls with a red liquid and a spoon, two absorbent dressings, two “Coban bandages,” rope, two pairs of handcuffs and three carabiners, according to the warrants.
Jodi Hildebrandt.Moms of Truth/ Instagram
The affidavit for the third search warrant says Hildebrandt asked for a lawyer and would not speak beyond disparaging Franke’s children to the officers.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
Moms of Truth/Instagram
Family and neighbors have since spoken out about the “red flags” they say the women displayed in regards to their disciplinary approach to young children. Former patients have spoken out against Hildebrandt’s impact as a therapist, while nearly 18,000 viewers from Franke’s once popular YouTube channel once signed a petition asking for child protective services to investigate the family.
Neighbors and family members have also said they’ve called authorities to check in on Franke’s kids in the past.
“Finally,” Franke’s oldest daughter Shari wrote on Instagram the day her mother was arrested and child protective services took her four youngest kids into custody.
“Me and my family are so glad justice is being served,” Shari, 20, wrote in another post. “We’ve been trying to tell the police and CPS for years about this, and so glad they finally decided to step up.”
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
source: people.com
