Blogger Ruby Franke, behind the defunct YouTube channel “8 Passengers,” and her associate Jod Hildebrandt were arrested after authorities found a malnourished child with open wounds and tape on his extremities.
The two women were behind a life coaching service called ConneXions, which has been repeatedly criticized for its harsh parenting advice, NBC News reports.
Police in Santa Clara-Ivins, Utah, USA, received their first call about a child in danger.
Upon arrival, authorities found the child “emaciated and malnourished” as he asked for food and water, the Santa Clara-Ivins Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
Police found another young person in similar conditions at another home in the area.
After obtaining search warrants for surrounding apartments, Ms. Franke and Ms. Hildebrandt were arrested.
The YouTube channel, which Ruby Franke ran with her husband Kevin and six children, was followed by more than 2.3 million people but was removed from the platform earlier this year.