“She committed horrible acts of child abuse. Miss Franke held her children ages 9 and 11 in a concentration camp-like setting,” the prosecutor said in court.
Former parenting influencer Ruby Franke was sentenced to four to 60 years in a Utah prison for child abuse. Her business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt, will serve the same sentence.
“She committed horrible acts of child abuse. Miss Franke held her children ages 9 and 11 in a concentration camp-like setting,” the prosecutor said. “The children were regularly denied food, water, beds to sleep in, and virtually all forms of entertainment.”
The 42-year-old mother of six broke down in tears as she spoke about her children in court.
“I would do anything in this world for you,” Franke said. “I took from you all that was soft and safe and good. I took from you your mother. How terrifying this must have been for you.”
Franke rose to fame with her YouTube channel, “8 Passengers,” with two million followers.
After Franke and her husband separated, she launched another show with Hildebrandt. They were notorious for her tough discipline.
As Franke posed as a loving but strict mother, she subjected her kids to abuse, even tying them up for long periods of time.
Franke’s abusive actions were exposed when her 12-year-old son ran to a neighbor for help.
“He’s emaciated. He’s got tape around his legs. He’s hungry and he’s thirsty,” the neighbor said. “He’s obviously covered in wounds.”
In a plea bargain last year, Franke pleaded guilty and offered to testify against Hildebrandt. Hildebrandt then also pleaded guilty.
“In our institutional memory, this is one of the worst child abuse cases we’ve seen,” prosecutor Eric Clarke said.
