Ruby Franke, the mom of six who gave parenting advice on YouTube before she was arrested for child abuse, received four 1- to 15-year prison sentences, meaning she is expected to spend years or decades in prison. Though the sentencing means she should serve between four and 60 years in prison, it will not be more than 30, according to Utah law, according to Business Insider.
In court, Franke apologized to her children, calling them her "six little chicks." "To my babies, my six little chicks. You are part of me. I was the mama duck who was consistently waddling you to safety," she said, according to Today.com.
"I can see now that over the past four years, I was in a deep undercurrent that led us to danger," she continued.
Franke's business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt, received the same sentence as Franke. They shared parenting content on the "Moms of Truth" Instagram page and on YouTube, but Franke denied that Hildebrandt was her business partner.
Instead, Franke explained, Hildebrandt was her "son's counselor in 2019" and her "mentor" in 2020. Franke claimed that Hildebrandt "manipulated" her, according to the Associated Press.
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"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," Franke claimed, as per Business Insider.
In her apology to her children, Franke said, "I was so disoriented that I believed dark was light and right was wrong. I would do anything in this world for you. My willingness to sacrifice all for you was masterfully manipulated … I took from you all that was soft, and safe, and good. I took from you, your mother," Today.com reported.
"How terrifying this must have been for you. I will never stop crying for hurting your tender souls. You're so precious to me. I'm sorry," she continued.
Franke and Hildebrandt were arrested in August 2023 after a neighbor called the police.
The neighbor called the police because a child “emaciated and malnourished, with open wounds and duct tape around the extremities." Another one of Franke's children was found “in a similar physical condition of malnourishment.”
In December 2023, Franke pleaded guilty to four felony counts of child abuse. At the time, the law firm representing Franke, Winward Law, said Hildebrandt was largely to blame.
In a statement at the time, the law firm accused Hildebrandt of taking advantage of Franke's desire to improve, leading to Franke's “distorted sense of morality."
County prosecutor Eric Clarke said that Franke's children faced “concentration camp-like setting" due to the abuse.
"The children were regularly denied food, water, beds to sleep in and virtually all forms of entertainment," Clarke said.
Franke previously had a large following on her YouTube channel, "8 Passengers." However, her parenting advice was controversial. Videos shared via the channel showed that Franke punished her children in strict, controversial ways, such as by saying she would cut the heads off her children's toys.
The Associated Press reported that Franke's 12-year-old son who prompted the neighbor to call the police was covered in duct tape and wounds. He reportedly told police that "Jodi [Hildebrandt]" put ropes around him and put cayenne pepper and honey on the wounds.
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child), or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7.
