Ruby Franke, a once-popular online mom influencer with millions of followers, has been sentenced to four one- to 15-year terms in prison for child abuse.
Franke pleaded guilty in December to four counts of aggravated abuse against her children. She and her business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt, had each been charged with six counts of felony child abuse in September.
Utah Judge John J. Walton sentenced both to four one- to 15-year terms on Tuesday, but state law limits the maximum aggregate sentence for consecutive terms to 30 years. The Utah Board of Pardons and Parole will determine the length of time they will spend behind bars, NBC News reported.
For years, the 42-year-old mother documented her strict parenting style with her husband Kevin Franke and her six children on her YouTube channel, “8 Passengers.” She and Hildebrandt also doled out parenting advice in videos.
Arrest and charges
On August 30, 2023, Franke and Hildebrandt were arrested in Ivins, Utah, and on September 1, 2023, both were charged with six counts of aggravated child abuse, a felony.[1][2][5][6][13][14] According to a statement from the Santa Clara-Ivins Public Safety Department, Franke’s 12-year-old son, who appeared emaciated and had “open wounds and duct tape around the extremities”, had climbed through a window of Hildebrandt’s house and asked at a neighboring house for food and water.[1][2][5][13] Emergency services found Franke’s 10-year-old daughter in the house, also malnourished; both children were taken to a hospital, where the boy was treated for severe malnourishment and “deep lacerations from being tied up with rope”.[1][6] A search of the house found evidence “consistent with the markings” on the 12-year-old, and the Utah Division of Child and Family Services took the boy and girl and two more of Franke’s children into care.[1][2] Police later reported that according to the boy, cayenne pepper and honey had been used to dress his wounds.[11][15]
Personal life
The Frankes are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[4][5] Their oldest daughter has stated that she has long disapproved of her mother’s parenting strategies.[2][5]
Franke has three sisters who are also parenting influencers;[2][4][5] they disassociated themselves from her actions in a joint statement[2][5][12] and later in individual videos.[25]
What in the actual fuck
The Frankes are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Oh, ofc it was religion again
“deep lacerations from being tied up with rope”
I know from first-hand experience that there must have been insane amounts of force for ropes to have this effect. Being tied up against your will while enduring the extreme pain of ropes in wounds must have been hell, especially for a child. This alone is traumatising on so many levels.
I’m almost afraid to ask but, you have first hand experience with ‘deep lacerations from being tied up with rope’?
And they will have a lifetime of PTSD to deal with on top of what they’ve already suffered.
sentenced up to 60 years
but state law limits the maximum aggregate sentence for consecutive terms to 30 years.
Fucking lying headlines. Doesn’t matter what she’s sentenced to if state law is less than that.
The sentence is still 60 years even if the state puts a cap on it. People commonly receive 150 year sentences but would never serve it fully.
millions of followers
No one gonna question why such sick abusive people gained that kind of popularity to begin with?
I think there is an element of crazy Mormon moms watching other Mormon moms be crazy Mormons.
@Fisk400 yeah, there’s a whole Mormon YouTube ecosystem out there with all kinds of content.
In Mormon culture, moms with more than 5 children receive constant positive reinforcement. Just because they have that many kids they are instantly viewed as “Good Moms”. So many narcissistic women have tons of kids due to social expectations.
Then at church and in front of social media they present a perfect image of the happy Mormon family. Hidden underneath the children’s clothing and in their minds is written a long history of abuse and neglect.
Traditionally all abuse including sexual abuse has been handled by the untrained clergy and mostly covered up. Recently more has been pushed to the legal system as lawsuits against the church are becoming more common. With the churches hundred’s of billions in funds and assets at stake, they are covering up less.
Let me guess… Mormons?
Utah, the Florida of child abuse.
