A Utah mother who ran a family YouTube channel has pleaded guilty to four counts of second-degree child abuse for abusing and starving two of her six children.
Speaking in court Monday morning, Ruby Franke expressed her “deepest regret and sadness for my family and my children” as she admitted the charges as part of a plea agreement.
On February 20, Judge John Walton sentenced the former influencer, who had more than two million subscribers on the 8 Passengers channel.
The judge noted that prison was an “adequate punishment” for the crimes committed.
Under Utah law, aggravated child abuse in the second degree can be charged if the person knowingly causes serious bodily injury to a child or causes or allows another person to cause serious bodily injury to their child. Each charge carries a prison sentence of one to 15 years.
Franke pleaded not guilty to two additional charges and was taken back into custody after a hearing, according to court records.
Her lawyers said in a statement Friday that the alleged abuse occurred while Franke was under the influence of a therapist who led her to have a “distorted sense of morality.”
“Ruby Franke is a dedicated mother and woman committed to continuous improvement,” said Winward Law.
Franke initially believed that Jody Hildebrandt “had the insight to show the path to continuous improvement”, but said that Hildebrandt “took that quest and turned it into something vile.”
Hildebrandt “systematically isolated Ruby Franke from her extended family, her older children and her husband, Kevin Franke,” the statement said.
Franke and Hildebrandt were arrested Aug. 30 after Franke’s 12-year-old son ran away from Hildebrandt’s home in the southern Utah town of Ivins and asked a neighbor to call police, according to a 911 call from St. George police.
The boy was emaciated and had duct tape wrapped around his ankles and wrists, but he did not say why, the caller said.
“I think he’s been arrested,” the caller said, his voice breaking. “He’s clearly covered in wounds.”
Franke’s 10-year-old daughter was also found at Hildebrandt’s home, according to court documents. Both children were taken to the hospital. Ultimately, Franke’s four youngest children were placed into state custody.
Franke and Hildebrandt were charged with six counts of aggravated child abuse. They have been in custody since their arrest.
The 12-year-old boy told investigators that “Jodie” wrapped ropes around his ankles and wrists and that they used cayenne pepper and honey to bandage wounds caused by the ropes.
Kevin Franke has filed for divorce.
Franke’s lawyers said that during her captivity she “engaged in extensive self-reflection that allowed her to redefine her moral compass and understand the gravity of her actions.” She is “ready to take responsibility for the role she played in the events that led to her imprisonment,” she added.
Hildebrandt agreed not to accept patients until the allegations were resolved by state regulators. Her next hearing is scheduled for Dec. 27, according to court records.
The Franke family’s now-deleted YouTube channel aired the family’s controversial parenting decisions, including banning their eldest son from his bedroom for seven months for making fun of his younger brother. In other videos, Ruby Franke talked about denying lunch to a child who forgot it at home and threatened to cut off a little girl’s head as punishment.
In the video, Franke said she and her husband told their two youngest children that they would not receive gifts from Santa because they were selfish.
The YouTube channel, launched in 2015, was closed after seven years and deleted in September.
Additional Associated Press reporting