YouTube Mom Receives Maximum Prison Sentence For Child Abuse

A popular parenting influencer on YouTube faces the consequences of child abuse.

Davy

• Published in News
• February 21, 2024

A well-known YouTube personality who gained fame for sharing parenting advice has been handed the maximum prison sentence for child abuse. The influencer, known for offering tips and guidance on raising children, now faces the legal repercussions of her actions, highlighting the serious consequences of abusive behavior towards children.

In a shocking turn of events, former family vlogger Ruby Franke, known for her popular YouTube channel '8 Passengers', has been sentenced to the maximum prison term for child abuse. The verdict was delivered in court on Tuesday, February 20th, alongside her business partner and mental health counsellor, Jodi Hildebrandt, aged 54.

Both Franke and Hildebrandt had previously pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse in December. Their arrests in August last year came after one of Franke's children bravely alerted neighbours in the city of Ivins, Utah, leading to a swift investigation by authorities.

The harrowing details of the abuse suffered by the 12-year-old boy, who escaped through a window at Jodi Hildebrandt's house and sought help from neighbors, have shocked many. Police found the boy in a distressed state, emaciated, with wounds, and bound with duct tape.

Subsequent investigations into the family home revealed similarly distressing conditions for Franke's other children. In a plea deal, Franke admitted to horrifying acts, including holding her son's head underwater and covering his mouth and nose, as well as physically assaulting him with boots.

Additionally, both Franke and Hildebrandt forced the boy to endure grueling physical labor in extreme heat without proper protection, leading to severe sunburn and dehydration.

The court in Utah heard disturbing details of the abuse inflicted by the mother, Ruby Franke, who once had over 2 million subscribers on YouTube. Franke attempted to convince her youngest children that they were "evil and possessed," coercing them to "repent."

According to state prosecutor Eric Clarke, Franke's nine-year-old and 11-year-old were subjected to appalling conditions resembling a "concentration camp", deprived of basic necessities like food, water, and beds.

In her plea agreement, Franke's business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt, acknowledged her complicity in the abuse and recounted forcing Franke's youngest daughter to endure painful acts, including jumping into a cactus multiple times and walking barefoot on dirt roads until her feet blistered.

Franke, visibly emotional during her sentencing, tearfully apologized to her six children, acknowledging the irreparable harm she caused. She expressed deep regret for allowing her love for her children to be manipulated into perpetrating such heinous acts, lamenting the loss of their innocence and security.

"I was so disoriented that I believed dark was light and right was wrong," Franke continued to say.

"I was led to believe that this world was an evil place, filled with cops who control, hospitals that injure, government agencies that brainwash, church leaders who lie and lust, husbands who refuse to protect and children who need abuse."

Following their guilty pleas, Franke and Hildebrandt were each sentenced to serve four terms of 1 to 15 years behind bars for the second-degree felony aggravated child abuse charges they admitted to. This could result in a maximum sentence of 60 years in prison for both of them.

While these sentences are the maximum allowable for each count under Utah law, the parole board will determine the exact duration of their imprisonment at a later date.

Franke's ex-husband, Kevin Franke, has filed for divorce and urged the court to impose the maximum sentence on her. He described her treatment of their children as "horrific and inhumane".

Davy