Jodi Hildebrant’s controversial group, ConneXions, performed a job in former YouTube star Ruby Franke’s little one abuse case.
Hildebrant and Ruby met in 2019, when the “8 Passengers” vlogger was on the lookout for assist parenting her and husband Kevin Franke’s eldest son, Chad. (Ruby and Kevin welcomed six youngsters earlier than he filed for divorce in 2023.)
Ruby, in flip, was additionally on the lookout for assist — which she present in Hildebrant’s ConneXions. “[The organization] has really turned my life round,” Ruby mentioned in a video, which was proven in ID’s 2025 collection Ruby & Jodi: A Cult of Sin and Affect. Hildebrant went on to maneuver into the Franke household dwelling.
In 2023, Ruby and Hildebrant had been arrested and charged with six counts of felony little one abuse. The arrest occurred after one among Ruby’s sons escaped out of a window of Hildebrant’s Utah dwelling and requested a neighbor for assist. Ruby pleaded responsible to 4 counts of kid abuse and agreed to serve a jail time period and that her sentences would run consecutively. She additionally agreed to testify in opposition to Hildebrant, who pleaded responsible. Hildebrandt voluntarily surrendered her license after her 2023 arrest. The primary parole hearings are scheduled for 2026.
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What Is Jodi Hildebrant’s ConneXions?
Hildebrant — who graduated from The College of Utah and later acquired a therapist license — started creating manuals, marital counseling and assist teams below ConneXions. She additionally launched a males’s group, which Kevin participated in.
What Was Ruby Franke’s Position in Jodi Hildebrant’s ConneXions?
After crossing paths with Hildebrant, Ruby dove head first into ConneXions and joined the group as a “licensed psychological health coach.” Ruby stopped importing on her “8 Passengers” YouTube channel, and as a substitute began showing on Hildebrant’s ConneXions class, calling herself the “sidekick.”
Who Else Was Concerned in Jodi Hildebrant’s ConneXions?
Pam Bodtcher taught ConneXions lessons and was allegedly listed because the president of the group. When Ruby was arrested, two of her youngsters had been discovered at Bodtcher’s dwelling.
Jodi Hildebrandt, Pam Bodtcher and Ruby Franke Courtesy of Mothers of Fact/Instagram
What Have Former Shoppers Stated About Jodi Hildebrant’s ConneXions?
Janae Thompson — the spouse of vlogger Grant Thompson, who died in a 2019 paragliding accident — opened up about her expertise with ConneXions in ID’s Ruby & Jodi: A Cult of Sin and Affect. Janae claimed that the group was tasked with making targets, together with not yelling at her youngsters.
“That was referred to as my habit,” Janae alleged. “I used to be hooked on yelling at my youngsters. And one of many necessities is to make three calls a day. You name someone in your group and discuss your triggers, that’s what we might name them. So if I yelled at my youngsters, it’s like, ‘OK, take a pair steps again, what triggered you to lose emotional management that you simply indulged in your habit that you simply yelled at your youngsters?’”
Janae claimed that they might report their cellphone calls, however she started feeling “disgrace and guilt” that she wasn’t assembly Hildebrant’s requirements. Janae finally left ConneXions in 2022.
What Is the Lawsuit Associated to ConneXions?
Michael, a former consumer of Hildebrant’s, filed a lawsuit in 2025 accusing Hildebrant and Ruby of fraud and racketeering in connection to ConneXions. Michael talked about Bodtcher in his lawsuit, explaining in ID’s Ruby & Jodi: A Cult of Sin and Affect that she was “extraordinarily concerned” within the group. He additionally talked about his ex-wife, who has since sought to have the lawsuit dismissed. Ruby and Hildebrant have additionally sought to dismiss the lawsuit.
Is ConneXions Nonetheless Operational Regardless of Jodi Hildebrant’s Arrest?
It’s unclear whether or not the group remains to be holding conferences. “I don’t know, I don’t have proof that ConneXions classroom remains to be working, nor do I do know the scope of Jodi’s affect or energy from behind bars at this level,” journalist Shelby Lofton mentioned in ID’s Ruby & Jodi: A Cult of Sin and Affect.
She continued, “It’s onerous to fathom. However sadly, we all know that even when leaders are punished or put behind bars, they will nonetheless have followers. They will nonetheless have quite a lot of affect and their teachings can nonetheless be applied. And it’s a scary thought to ponder.”
Should you or somebody you recognize is experiencing little one abuse, name or textual content Little one Assist Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.
