Former YouTube parenting channel host pleads guilty to child abuse

Ruby Franke, the host of a now-defunct parenting YouTube channel, pleaded guilty Monday to four counts of aggravated child abuse over the treatment of her children.

Ms. Franke, who was known for videos documenting her strict parenting style on social media, was arrested in September with her business partner in Utah. Police said at the time that two of Ms. Franke’s children appeared malnourished, and that one had duct tape on his ankles and wrists, as well as open wounds. Her plea was part of an agreement with prosecutors.

The maximum penalty for each of the counts is 15 years and a fine of up to $10,000. Ms. Franke, 41, will remain in prison until she is sentenced in 2024, according to the law firm.

“We are pleased that Ms. Franke has accepted responsibility for her criminal actions and that justice is being served to the fullest extent possible in these types of situations,” Washington County Attorney Eric Clarke said in a statement Monday.

Ms. Franke’s attorney, Lamar J. Winward, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Ms Franke was the host of a YouTube channel called ‘8 Passengers’, which has since been removed from the platform. In the videos, Ms. Franke documented her strict parenting strategies, including: denying food to her own children as a form of punishment. The channel documented the lives of her six children: Shari, Chad, Abby, Julie, Russell and Eve. It had almost 2.5 million subscribers before it was deleted.

Ms. Franke was arrested in September at the home of her business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt, in Ivins, Utah, and charged with six counts of aggravated child abuse. The arrest and charges came after Ms. Franke’s 12-year-old son, identified as RF in a court document, climbed out the window of Ms. Hildebrandt’s home and went to a neighbor’s house to ask for food and water.

According to the document, the child had duct tape on his ankles and wrists and open wounds. He appeared emaciated and malnourished. The neighbor called the police, who also found Ms. Franke’s 10-year-old daughter, Eve, with Ms. Hildebrandt. She also appeared emaciated and malnourished, according to the court document. Police contacted the Utah Division of Child and Family Services and a total of four children were taken into their care.