CRIME
Disgraced YouTubers Ruby Franke And Jodi Hildebrandt Sentence For Child Abuse
Ruby Franke/Instagram
Disgraced parenting YouTuber Ruby Franke and her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt were each sentenced on Tuesday to 4–60 years behind bars after pleading guilty in December to four felony counts of second-degree aggravated child abuse.
The Utah mother of six was originally arrested in August alongside fellow YouTuber Hildebrandt after Franke’s 12-year-old son escaped confinement and ran to a neighbor for help.
The boy escaped from Hildebrandt’s home in Ivins, in southern Utah, on Aug. 30, and asked neighbors for food and water. The neighbor called 911 and reported the child appeared emaciated and malnourished, with open wounds and duct tape, around his wrists and ankles.
The boy told police that the women used ropes to tie him up, and they dressed the wounds with cayenne pepper.
Investigators learned that there were other children in similar condition. When officers arrived at Hildebrandt’s home, they found Franke’s 10-year-old daughter, and she was also transported to the hospital. Four of Franke’s minor children were taken into Department of Child and Family Services custody.
Both Franke and Hildebrandt entered plea agreements for four counts of aggravated child abuse, after originally being charged with six counts. Franke has claimed the abuse was largely directed by Hildebrandt.
According to the plea agreement, Franke and Hildebrandt sought to indoctrinate” Franke’s son to convince him that he was evil and possessed. They told the boy the torture he endured was necessary to repent.
He was subjected to “outside labor without shoes and in the summer heat,” standing in the direct sunlight for several days. The women withheld “adequate water for several days,” and the boy was punished when he secretly consumed water.”
Franke’s 9-year-old daughter was also “forced to work outside in the heat barefoot” and was “denied food and water” and “repeatedly told she was evil and possessed.”
Franke rose to prominence several years ago for her parenting advice channel, which featured her husband, Kevin, and their six children. Some viewers reported them over the years for what many considered overly strict parenting. The channel, which had more than 2 million subscribers, was removed from YouTube before her arrest last year.
Since the removal of her channel, Franke appeared on Hildebrandt’s YouTube channel, where the pair offered parenting, relationship, and other life advice they said centered the value of honesty. Hildebrandt founded the therapy group ConneXions in 2012, and provided marriage counseling to the Frankes in 2021.
Kevin has since filed for divorce and is seeking full custody of their minor children.
Franke was sentenced to four consecutive prison terms of 1–15 years each. Hildebrandt received the same sentence. The Utah Board of Pardons and Parole will determine how much time they ultimately serve.
TMX contributed to this article.
