UTAH — An American mother of six who gave parenting advice on the once-famous “8 Passengers” YouTube channel pleaded guilty Monday to four felony counts of child abuse for abusing and starving two of her children. She will probably be sentenced to prison.
Ruby Franke, dressed in gray and white jail clothes, stood up, closed her eyes and took a deep breath before pleading guilty. In the end, she suppressed some emotion before saying, “With my deepest regret and pain for my family and my children, guilty.”
Judge John J. Walton accepted the plea deal and scheduled sentencing for February 20.
Franke pleaded not guilty to two other charges and was returned to custody after the hearing.
Long sentence could await him
Under Utah’s child abuse law, the most serious charges against minors would carry sentences of one to 15 years in prison.
Winward Law, the law firm representing the defendant, said in a statement Friday that the alleged abuse occurred when Franke was influenced by a relationship counselor who led her to “a distorted sense of morality.”
“Ruby Franke is a devoted mother and also a woman committed to constant improvement,” Winward Law said in a statement. Franke initially believed Jodi Hildebrandt “had the insight to offer a path to continuous improvement,” but she said Hildebrandt “took this pursuit and turned it into something outrageous.”
Hildebrandt “systematically isolated Ruby Franke from her extended family, her adult children, and her husband, Kevin Franke,” the statement said.
Children in state custody
Franke and Hildebrandt were arrested Aug. 30 after Franke’s 12-year-old son escaped from Hildebrandt’s home in the southern Utah town of Ivins and asked a neighbor to call the police.
The boy was emaciated and had duct tape around his ankles and wrists, but he did not say why.
Franke’s 10-year-old daughter was also found in Hildebrandt’s home, according to court documents. Both children were taken to the hospital. Ultimately, Franke’s four youngest children were taken into state custody.
Franke and Hildebrandt were each charged with six felony counts of aggravated child abuse. They remain imprisoned since their arrest.
The YouTube channel, which started in 2015, ended after seven years.
Source: With information from AP
