Kevin Franke is the husband of Ruby Franke, a Utah mom and YouTuber who was arrested on suspicion of two counts of aggravated child abuse on August 31, 2023. Kevin and Ruby are the parents of six children: Shari, Chad, Abby, Julie, Russell and Eve. They rose to fame through their YouTube channel, “8 Passengers”, which documented their daily lives and parenting challenges. However, the channel was deleted after allegations of child abuse and neglect surfaced in 2020.
Ruby Franke, a famous YouTuber with over 2.6 million subscribers on her channel “8 Passengers”, was arrested on August 30, 2023, on two counts of aggravated child abuse. The arrest came after a police investigation into allegations of physical and emotional abuse of her six children, ranging from ages 5 to 16. Ruby Franke has denied the charges and claimed that she is a victim of online harassment and false accusations.
But who is Kevin Franke, the husband of Ruby Franke and the father of her six children? Here are some facts about him and his family.
Kevin Franke’s Background and Career
Kevin Franke was born on October 9, 1978, in Utah, USA. He is 44 years old as of September 1, 2023.
He graduated from Utah State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering in 2003. He also earned a Master of Science degree in civil engineering from Brigham Young University (BYU) in 2006 and a Ph.D. in civil engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 2012.
He is currently an assistant professor of civil engineering at BYU, where he teaches courses on structural dynamics, earthquake engineering, and structural reliability. He is also a licensed professional engineer in Utah and Texas.
He has published several research papers on topics such as seismic risk assessment, structural health monitoring, and probabilistic methods in engineering.
He is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) and has served a two-year mission for the church in Brazil.
| Name | Kevin Franke |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | October 9, 1978 |
| Age | 44 |
| Place of Birth | Utah |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Religion | LDS |
| Education | Utah State University (BS), University of Texas at Austin (MS, PhD) |
| Occupation | Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering at BYU |
| Spouse | Ruby Franke (married since March 10, 2001) |
| Children | Shari (20), Chad (18), Abby (16), Julie (14), Russell (12), Eve (9) |
| Siblings | Jennifer (sister), Michelle (sister) |
| Friends | Ellie Mecham, Bonnie Hoellein, Julie Deru, Elisha Nelson, Jessica Skube |
| Net Worth | $1 million |
Kevin Franke’s Net Worth
Kevin Franke’s net worth is estimated to be around $1 million as of 2023. His main source of income is his salary as an assistant professor at BYU, which ranges from $70,000 to $100,000 per year according to Glassdoor. He also earned money from his YouTube channel before it was deleted, which had an estimated monthly revenue of $10,000 to $20,000 according to Social Blade.
Kevin Franke’s Relationship with Ruby Franke
Kevin Franke met Ruby Franke when they were both students at Utah State University. They dated for two years before getting married on July 3, 2004, in the Logan Utah Temple of the LDS Church.
They have six children together: Shari (born in 2005), Chad (born in 2007), Abby (born in 2009), Julie (born in 2011), Russell (born in 2013), and Eve (born in 2016).
They started their YouTube channel “8 Passengers” in January 2015, where they document their daily lives as a large family. The channel has over 2.6 million subscribers and over 1.4 billion views as of September 1, 2023.
They also have other social media accounts, such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok, where they share photos and videos of their family activities and adventures.
They live in a six-bedroom house in Lehi, Utah, which they bought for $1.2 million in 2019.
Kevin Franke’s Role in the Child Abuse Allegations
Kevin Franke has been accused of being complicit or negligent in the alleged abuse of his children by his wife Ruby Franke. Some of the allegations include locking their children in their rooms for hours or days without food or water, hitting them with belts or wooden spoons, forcing them to sleep on the floor or outside, depriving them of basic necessities such as clothes or hygiene products, isolating them from their friends or relatives, and verbally abusing them with insults or threats.
Kevin Franke has not been arrested or charged with any crime related to the allegations. However, he has been placed on administrative leave by BYU pending the outcome of the investigation.
Kevin Franke’s lawyer, Randy S. Kester, has stated that Kevin Franke is innocent and that he is trying to keep his children together and protect them from media attention. Kester has also said that Kevin Franke loves his wife and believes that she is innocent as well.
Kevin Franke has not made any public statements or appearances since his wife’s arrest. He has also disabled or deleted his social media accounts.
