A Utah judge is set to determine the prison sentences for Ruby Franke, a popular mother and YouTube personality known for her parenting advice channel “8 Passengers,” and her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt after the two admitted to physically and emotionally abusing Franke’s children. The two women have pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse and have agreed to serve prison terms. The charges stem from horrific abuse against Franke’s two youngest children, including beatings, being starved and forced into hard labor in the summer heat without much food or water. The abuse came to light when Franke’s 12-year-old son escaped from Hildebrandt’s home, where the abuse occurred, and sought help from a neighbor. He was found thin, covered in wounds, and with duct tape around his ankles and wrists. Franke and Hildebrandt were arrested and each charged with six felony counts of aggravated child abuse. Franke admitted to kicking her son, holding his head underwater, and closing off his mouth and nose with her hands. Hildebrandt admitted to coercing Franke’s youngest daughter to jump into a cactus and run barefoot on dirt roads. The children were taken to the hospital and placed in state custody after the arrests.
Before the abuse came to light, the Franke family had gained a large following on their YouTube channel, where they documented their experiences raising six children. However, Ruby Franke was already a divisive figure in the parent vlogging world, having faced criticism for certain parenting decisions, including banning her oldest son from his bedroom for seven months as punishment. The “8 Passengers” YouTube channel has since ended, and Kevin Franke, Ruby’s husband, has filed for divorce. Franke and Hildebrandt could each face prison sentences of one to 15 years for each charge, possibly running consecutively. The sentencing hearings are set to take place on Tuesday in southern Utah.
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