A former YouTuber who previously offered parenting guidance online has been sentenced to a maximum of 30 years in prison following her admission of physically and emotionally mistreating her children.
Ruby Franke, a mother of six hailing from Utah who shared parenting advice through a once-popular video blog named “8 Passengers,” manipulated her two youngest children into believing they were wicked, possessed, and in need of punishment for repentance.
The 42-year-old, along with her business partner, mental health counselor Jodi Hildebrandt, confessed to four charges of aggravated child abuse.
As part of her plea agreement, Franke acknowledged assaulting her son by kicking him while wearing boots, submerging his head underwater, and obstructing his mouth and nose with her hands.
Franke and Hildebrandt also admitted to subjecting the boy to extensive physical labor in the summer heat, depriving him of sufficient food and water, resulting in dehydration and severe sunburns.
In August, Franke’s 12-year-old son managed to flee through a window at Hildebrandt’s residence in Ivins, southern Utah, seeking help from a neighbor who then contacted the authorities.
The boy was found to be severely underweight, hurt, and bound with duct tape around his wrists and legs.
Reportedly, the child disclosed to law enforcement officials that Hildebrandt used cayenne pepper and honey to treat his wounds.
Both women were apprehended at Hildebrandt’s home and faced six felony charges of aggravated child abuse each.
While Franke pleaded guilty to four charges and not guilty to two during a December hearing, her plea deal was approved by the court.
During her sentencing, Franke expressed remorse to her absent children, stating, “I will never cease to grieve for causing harm to your innocent souls. My intent to give up everything for you was twisted into something heinous. I stripped away from you all that was gentle, secure, and pure.”
Hildebrandt, too, admitted to four charges and had two counts dismissed under her plea agreement. She was also sentenced to a maximum of 30 years in prison.
Under Utah law, each crime for both people brings a prison sentence of one to fifteen years, which must be served in order. However, the maximum cumulative sentence for consecutive terms is capped at 30 years.
Hildebrandt confessed to coercing Franke’s youngest daughter, then nine years old, to repeatedly jump into a cactus and run barefoot on gravel roads until her feet blistered.
Following the arrests, the boy and girl were hospitalized and placed in state custody alongside two other siblings.
Ruby Franke and her spouse, Kevin Franke, introduced “8 Passengers” on YouTube in 2015, garnering a substantial audience as they chronicled their journey of raising six children.
Subsequently, the YouTube channel has been discontinued, and Kevin Franke has initiated divorce proceedings.