YouTube Mom Ruby Franke Sentenced to 60 Years in Prison

Franke will serve up to three decades behind bars - the maximum allowed for aggravated child abuse in Utah.

By Michael Hein

Former YouTuber Ruby Franke was sentenced to up to 60 years in prison on Tuesday, Feb. 20, though she won't serve more than 30 years in total. Back in December, Franke pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse, and each one carries a prison sentence of one to 15 years. Now that she has been sentenced, it will be up to the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole to decide the exact length of her punishment.

Franke broke down in tears in court on Tuesday when a judge handed down her sentence, according to a report by Page Six. Franke had been charged with six counts of aggravated child abuse – a felony – but accepted a plea deal where she pleaded guilty to four counts and not guilty to the other two. Under the deal, Franke agreed to serve her respective sentences consecutively rather than concurrently, so if she is sentenced to 15 years for each of the four counts, that will be a total of 60 years. However, Utah law caps imprisonment time on consecutive sentences at 30 years, so she can't be held longer than three decades.

"I am humbled and willing to serve a prison sentence for as long as I need," Franke reportedly said in court. "I am committed to unlearning my toxic behavior." She also apologized for "twisting God's words and distorting his doctrine."

Franke ran a popular YouTube channel called "8 Passengers" from 2015 to 2022, which was all about parenting and their life in Ivins, Utah. She and her husband Kevin have six children, and they amassed a huge following with five vlog-style videos per week for about five years. However, starting in 2020 fans became concerned with Franke's disciplinary methods and worried for the safety of her children. Franke and Kevin separated and she eventually deleted her channel, but she soon started a new one with fellow creator Jodi Nan Hildebrandt. After that, the police got involved.

The police investigated Hildebrandt's home in August of 2023 when Franke's 12-year-old son escaped through a window and ran to a neighbor's house, asking for food and water. He was malnourished and "emaciated," with "open wounds and duct tape around the extremities." Medics described his wounds as "deep lacerations from being tied up with rope." Inside the house, police found Franke's 10-year-old daughter in similar condition, taking both of them to the hospital.

Franke and Hildebrandt were both held without bail, and have been in custody since then. Hildebrandt was given the same sentence as Franke on Tuesday. In court, she said: "I sincerely loved these children. One of the reasons I didn't go to trial is I didn't want them to relive this."

Franke and Hildebrandt's videos have been deleted and they have been banned from YouTube altogether. It's not clear when they will begin their sentences but they are expected to serve the full 30 years.

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