Ruby Franke was sentenced to up to 60 years in prison after pleading guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse.
Franke, 41, was sentenced on Tuesday, February 20, to four consecutive prison terms, which could range from one to 15 years each. According to local news outlet KUTV, the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole will ultimately determine the prison time, and Franke has 30 days to appeal the decision.
The former YouTube star’s ex-business partner Jodi Hildebrandt received the same sentence of four consecutive prison terms.
“My charges are just. They offer safety to my family, accountability to the public,” Franke said while addressing the court before her sentencing. She also took accountability for the way she and Hildebrandt had “inflicted the injuries” on her children.
Franke claimed she had been “led to believe” that the world was an “evil place.” She went on to thank public safety officials who rescued her children.
The internet personality was arrested in August 2023 on two counts of aggravated child abuse after one of her sons escaped out of a window in their home and ran to a neighbor’s house, where he asked for food and water. Authorities noticed that the child was malnourished and had duct tape on his ankles and wrists.
According to the arrest report, Franke’s son was taken to a hospital and admitted on a medical hold due to “his deep lacerations from being tied up with rope and from his malnourishment.” The residence that the child escaped from belonged to Hildebrandt, who opened the counseling business ConneXions Classroom.
Franke pleaded guilty to four counts of child abuse in December 2023 and admitted that she tortured her children. As part of the plea deal, Franke agreed to serve a prison term and agreed that her sentences would run consecutively. She also testified against Hildebrandt, who pleaded guilty.
Ruby, who shares kids Shari, Chad, Abby, Julie, Russell and Eve with husband Kevin Franke, previously documented her family’s daily life on her “8 Passengers” YouTube channel. After facing backlash for some of her parenting choices, Ruby deleted the channel and launched ConneXions with Hildebrandt.
In response to Ruby’s legal issues, her three sisters released a statement, which read, “For the last three years, we have kept quiet on the subject of our sister Ruby Franke for the sake of her children. Behind the public scene, we have done everything we could to try and make sure the kids were safe.”
The statement continued: “Ruby was arrested which needed to happen. Jodi was arrested which needed to happen. The kids are now safe, which is the No. 1 priority.”
Kevin, meanwhile, filed for divorce one month after Ruby’s arrest. He appeared in court earlier this month and received an apology from Ruby when she took the stand.
“You are the love of my life,” Ruby said during a court hearing on Friday, February 16, according to KUTV. “The ending of our marriage is a tragedy.”
To report child abuse, consult the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Child Welfare Information Gateway for state-specific reporting phone numbers.
