Ruby Franke pleaded responsible to felony youngster abuse fees as a part of a plea deal on Monday, December 18, 2023, per NBC Information. She appeared in courtroom in Washington County, Utah. “With my deepest remorse and sorrow for my household and my youngsters, responsible,” she stated in courtroom on the finish of 2023. The previous YouTube star, 42, was then sentenced on February 20, 2024. Ruby was sentenced to 4 to 60 years in jail on 4 counts of aggravated youngster abuse, as reported by Enterprise Insider.
The 42-year-old and her enterprise associate Jodi Hildebrandt won’t serve greater than 30 years, because the outlet reported that the regulation in Utah “prohibits consecutive sentences exceeding” that size of time. On the day of her sentencing, a choose ordered Ruby to consecutively serve “one to fifteen years behind bars for every of the 4 counts.”
On February 27, 2025, Hulu launched Satan within the Household: The Fall of Ruby Franke, which delves deep into Ruby’s case. Amid the newest, discover out extra about Ruby and her fees, under.
Ruby Was a Household Vlogger
Franke started her YouTube channel “8 Passengers” in 2015, and he or she rose to prominence on the web site along with her each day video vlogs. She would publish movies every day detailing her life along with her six youngsters and her husband in Utah. The channel has since been taken down, but it surely did have 2.5 million subscribers at one time, per The New York Instances. The movies garnered consideration for her strict parenting type in addition to the each day glimpses into their lives.
Followers Started Accusing Her of Baby Abuse in 2020
Viewers started to specific concern for Franke’s youngsters in 2020, when certainly one of her sons stated that he had slept on a beanbag chair for months as a punishment, in response to The Washington Publish. In different movies, she talked about letting certainly one of her daughters go hungry so she would be taught to pack her lunch, and one other the place certainly one of her daughters had misplaced “the privilege of consuming dinner.” Followers started a Change.org petition to attempt to get an investigation into her.
After Franke was arrested, her oldest daughter Shari stated that she and her members of the family had tried to alert authorities for a very long time in an Instagram Story. “We’ve been attempting to inform the police and CPS for years about this,” she stated.
Franke’s three sisters are additionally household influencers, and after their sister’s arrest two of them launched a joint assertion to say that they supported their sister’s arrest. “Behind the general public scene we’ve got accomplished the whole lot we may to strive and ensure the youngsters had been protected,” they stated. “Ruby was arrested which wanted to occur. Jodie was arrested which wanted to occur. The youngsters at the moment are protected, which is the primary precedence.”
She Was Charged With 6 Counts of Felony Baby Abuse
Franke and her enterprise associate Jodi Nan Hildebrandt had been arrested on August 30, 2023 after one of many vlogger’s youngsters ran away to a neighbor’s dwelling and requested to name 911. Police reported that he was emaciated and had duct tape round his wrists and ankles for unclear causes, per The Guardian. When police went to Franke’s dwelling, they discovered certainly one of her different daughters who additionally appeared malnourished. Her son claimed that Hildebrandt had tied rope round his arms and used cayenne pepper and honey on the injuries attributable to the rope. Each youngsters, plus two extra of Franke’s minor youngsters, had been taken into state custody.
With the information that Franke has plead responsible, Washington County Legal professional Eric Clarke issued an announcement, per The Instances. “We’re happy that Ms. Franke has accepted duty for her legal actions and that justice is being served to the extent potential in one of these state of affairs,” he stated.
Throughout her February 2024 sentencing, Ruby reportedly sobbed in response to the sentencing. “I used to be led to consider that this world was an evil place, full of cops who management, hospitals that injure, authorities companies that brainwash, church leaders who lie and lust, husbands who refuse to guard, and youngsters who want abuse,” she stated, per Enterprise Insider. “My option to consider and behave this paranoia culminated into legal exercise, for which I stand earlier than you immediately able to take accountability.”
“I can see now over the previous 4 years, I used to be in a deep undercurrent that led us to hazard,” Ruby continued, chatting with her youngsters. “I might by no means have led you to darkness knowingly. I used to be so disoriented that I believed darkish was gentle and proper was flawed. I might do something on this world for you.” In the meantime, Jodi was sentenced to the identical period of time in jail as Ruby.
Her Husband Filed for Divorce in November 2023
Franke and her husband Kevin separated in 2022. He filed for divorce in November 2023, per NBC Information. Her attorneys stated that she was “devastated” by the break up in an announcement.
