Former YouTuber Ruby Franke will serve up to 30 years in prison
- Franke and business partner Jodi Hildebrandt pleaded guilty to child abuse
- Two of Franke's children were found malnourished in Hildebrandt's home
- Franke admitted to torturing her children in a plea agreement
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Editor’s note: This story has been updated to clarify Utah’s sentencing rules.
(NewsNation) — Former YouTube mom Ruby Franke and her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt were sentenced Tuesday on child abuse charges, with both women now facing up to 30 years in prison.
The women were each given four 1-15 year sentences to be served consecutively. That adds up to as many as 60 years, but Utah caps consecutive sentences at 30 total years. The Utah Board of Pardons and Parole will determine the exact length each woman will serve.
Speaking in court, Franke was emotional, thanking the court for the opportunity to be held accountable and saying she was willing to spend as much time in prison as it would take for her to unlearn the “misinformation” she believed and promoted.
“I’m sorry for twisting God’s word and distorting his doctrines,” she said.
Both women will have 30 days to appeal their sentences.
The women were each charged with six counts of felony child abuse after two of Franke’s six children were found malnourished in the basement of Hildebrandt’s home. Each pleaded guilty to four counts of second-degree child abuse.
In her plea agreement, Franke admitted to torturing her son, including depriving him of food and water and subjecting him to physical labor, isolating him from others and depriving him of any entertainment.
She also admitted to kicking him, holding his head underwater and cutting off his oxygen by putting her hands over his mouth and nose, as well as binding him after he attempted to run away.
While her daughter was not subject to the same physical attacks as her brother, Franke admitted to also denying her food and water and subjecting her to long hours of physical labor in the summer heat without any protection from the sun.
This image from video provided by the Utah State Courts shows Ruby Franke, during a virtual court appearance, Sept. 8, 2023 in St. George, Utah. Franke, a mother of six who gave parenting advice via a once-popular YouTube channel called “8 Passengers” is charged with abusing and starving her two young children. Her attorney, LaMar Winward, said Franke was expected to enter into a plea agreement on Monday, Dec. 18, 2023. (Utah State Courts via AP) 
Jodi Hildebrandt and Ruby Franke 
This image from video shows Ruby Franke during a hearing Monday, Dec. 18, 2023, in St. George, Utah. Franke, a Utah mother of six who gave parenting advice via a once-popular YouTube channel called “8 Passengers” has pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse for abusing and starving two of her children. (Ron Chaffin/St. George News via AP, Pool) 
Jodi Hildebrandt and Ruby Franke are both charged with felony child abuse. 
Jodi Hildebrandt attends a hearing Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023, in St. George, Utah. Hildebrandt, a Utah mental health counselor who had been arrested alongside parenting advice blogger Ruby Franke, pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse for her role in physically and emotionally abusing Franke’s children. (Sheldon Demke/St. George News via AP, Pool)
Franke told her daughter she was evil and needed to repent, forcing her to run barefoot outside in the heat.
Franke became famous for the “8 Passengers” YouTube channel she ran with her husband, documenting her family life and offering parenting advice.
But the channel came under criticism for Franke’s harsh parenting tactics, including taking away a child’s bed as punishment and refusing to bring her 6-year-old child lunch at school after she forgot it.
When “8 Passengers” ended, Franke teamed up with Hildebrandt, a licensed counselor, to start a new counseling-focused channel called ConneXions Classroom. Hildebrandt surrendered her license when she pleaded guilty to the child abuse charges.
At some point, Franke and two of the children moved in with Hildebrandt. Kevin Franke, her husband, was not living with the family at the time.
Franke and Hildebrandt were arrested after Franke’s son ran to a neighbor’s house, who called police when she noticed the child was malnourished and appeared to have tape on his wrists and ankles. When they responded, authorities found Franke’s daughter in Hildebrandt’s home, in similar condition.
Police took all of the minor children into custody. The oldest daughter had already cut ties with her family and is attending Brigham Young University, while the whereabouts of Franke’s 18-year-old son are unknown.
