Ruby Franke's Husband Feels 'Manipulated and Deceived' By Wife and Her Partner After Child Abuse Arrest

Kevin Franke and his wife share six children between them -- Shari, Chad, Abby, Julie, Russell and Eve -- but were reportedly living separate lives at the time of her arrest.

Speaking with Law&Crime's Sidebar podcast on Tuesday, Kevin's attorney Randy S. Kester said his client had no idea his estranged wife and kids had moved to Ivins, Utah, where Ruby's podcasting partner Jodi Hildebrandt lived.

Kester claimed that on the day of Ruby's arrest -- but before being taken in by police -- she reached out to Kevin, who was at work.

"She had heard what was going on and knew they were coming for her and called him and said, 'This is an emergency,' even though she hadn't reached out to him for months and months and months before that," said Kester. "She reached out to him when it was an emergency, knowing she could rely on him to help his kids."

As the two spoke, that's when she told him for the first time that they were all living in Ivins and had been for months. Per Kester, the two separated because of a "difference of opinion about their family"; when pressed if that was in regards to parenting, he said, "Correct ... and their own personal dynamic."

He also claimed it was Ruby's idea that Kevin and his children have no communication during their separation -- saying she told him "everything was better off with him not in the home" and everything was "blissful" and "so much better without him." Kester said Kevin respected her alleged demands because he felt they'd be able to "preserve his marriage" if he did.

"He's getting raked over the coals for [not reaching out to his kids] but what people don't understand is he was trying to preserve his marriage, he was taking direction from her and she was the one who asked him to leave the house, indicating that in order for him to get back together with her and be a family, she was requesting he leave the home and he not contact them or the children," said the attorney.

Kevin's lawyer said his client had no idea the kids could have been in danger -- saying Ruby was emotionally "controlling him because she knew how much he valued their marriage and valued their family and it was his desire to be able to get back with the family and preserve his marriage." Had Kevin had any inkling of abuse, said Kester, "he would have been down there in two seconds."

Ruby and her husband last spoke last week and during that conversation, according to Kester, "is when he came to his senses about how he'd been manipulated and deceived."

While Kester said "physical abuse had never been part of their family" before, he added that "a lot of the dynamics between [Kevin] and his wife changed after Jodi Hildebrandt partnered up with Ruby."

"She's manipulated him, in conjunction with Ruby," Kester continued. "That she's been kind of the spearhead toward essentially destroying his life and destroying his family."

"I think it was a team effort, but Jody being the spearhead," he added, before claiming Jody's "done this to a number of families" in the past.

During the interview, Kester was also asked about how both Ruby and Kevin were criticized in the past for their parenting techniques, which were documented on the pair's popular -- and now defunct -- 8 Passengers YouTube channel. According to Insider, the Frankes' parenting style was criticized by some viewers who felt it was abusive, while some of Ruby's comments were deemed offensive.

"There hasn't ever been an allegation that Kevin Franke has ever physically abused his children. All these parenting complaints, those were investigated," said Kester. "I think it's a subjective thing, parenting. While there may be come criticism on their parenting being too strict or too demanding, that's been looked into."

"Kevin Franke has never been accused of physically abusing anyone, including his children, nor have there ever been any allegations that he was doing that," he continued, adding that no charges were ever filed following previous investigations. "He doesn’t condone that kind of thing. He's a good dad. He simply does not condone physical violence or that kind of treatment of children or anyone."

Kester had no idea why the 8 Passengers page was pulled down and claimed Kevin hasn't had anything to do with Ruby and Jody's ConneXions for over a year and a half.

Since the arrest, Kevin has had contact with his two eldest children, but Kester wouldn't comment on whether he's spoken to the four younger kids who have since been placed with the Department of Child and Family Services.

"He's consulting with professionals," the attorney said, regarding Kevin's plans to reunite with his kids. "We're working in conjunction with the state of Utah, through the juvenile court, to work with them, take direction from them about what they feel would be necessary to heal his family, and try to figure out a way, if possible, to reunify the family."

"He's working hard to do what he can to restore his reputation after it's been destroyed and damaged and he's getting raked over the coals by all this, when in fact, he himself was to some degree a victim of these psychological and mental manipulations that were perpetuated against him and his family by Jody," Kester concluded. "He's just trying to restore some normalcy to his life ... and keep this family together and make sure they thrive and recover from this abuse."

Ruby and Jodi were both formally charged with six counts of felony aggravated child abuse last week. The pair are accused of "a combination of multiple physical injuries or torture; starvation or malnutrition that jeopardizes life; and causing severe emotional harm" to two children, per CBS News.

If found guilty, each of the six counts could lead to a prison sentence ranging from one to 15 years, as well as a fine up to $10,000, according to a statement received by NBC News.

Franke and Hildebrandt were arrested at Hildebrandt's home last week after one of Franke's six children allegedly climbed out of a window and fled to a neighbor's home asking for help. The 12-year-old boy appeared "emaciated and malnourished" and had "open wounds and duct tape around the extremities," according to the Santa Clara-Ivins Public Safety Department.

"The condition of the juvenile was so severe that they were seen by Santa Clara-Ivins EMS and transported to a local area hospital," said the release. After police received information that others "in similar condition" may be inside the home, they searched the residence and said they found "another juvenile in a similar physical condition of malnourishment," Franke's 10-year-old daughter, per NBC News.

That child was also taken to hospital for treatment. A subsequent search warrant was issued leading to Franke's four minor children being placed with the Department of Child and Family Services.