Ruby Franke, a once-popular online mom influencer with millions of followers, has been sentenced to four one- to 15-year terms in prison for child abuse.
Franke pleaded guilty in December to four counts of aggravated abuse against her children. She and her business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt, had each been charged with six counts of felony child abuse in September.
Utah Judge John J. Walton sentenced both to four one- to 15-year terms on Tuesday, but state law limits the maximum aggregate sentence for consecutive terms to 30 years. The Utah Board of Pardons and Parole will determine the length of time they will spend behind bars, NBC News reported.
For years, the 42-year-old mother documented her strict parenting style with her husband Kevin Franke and her six children on her YouTube channel, “8 Passengers.” She and Hildebrandt also doled out parenting advice in videos.
Arrest and charges
On August 30, 2023, Franke and Hildebrandt were arrested in Ivins, Utah, and on September 1, 2023, both were charged with six counts of aggravated child abuse, a felony.[1][2][5][6][13][14] According to a statement from the Santa Clara-Ivins Public Safety Department, Franke’s 12-year-old son, who appeared emaciated and had “open wounds and duct tape around the extremities”, had climbed through a window of Hildebrandt’s house and asked at a neighboring house for food and water.[1][2][5][13] Emergency services found Franke’s 10-year-old daughter in the house, also malnourished; both children were taken to a hospital, where the boy was treated for severe malnourishment and “deep lacerations from being tied up with rope”.[1][6] A search of the house found evidence “consistent with the markings” on the 12-year-old, and the Utah Division of Child and Family Services took the boy and girl and two more of Franke’s children into care.[1][2] Police later reported that according to the boy, cayenne pepper and honey had been used to dress his wounds.[11][15]
Personal life
The Frankes are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[4][5] Their oldest daughter has stated that she has long disapproved of her mother’s parenting strategies.[2][5]
Franke has three sisters who are also parenting influencers;[2][4][5] they disassociated themselves from her actions in a joint statement[2][5][12] and later in individual videos.[25]
What in the actual fuck
The Frankes are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Oh, ofc it was religion again
Dumb-da-dumb-dumb-dumb
Yea soon as I read that it made a lot more sense how these two people acted worse than animals.
“deep lacerations from being tied up with rope”
I know from first-hand experience that there must have been insane amounts of force for ropes to have this effect. Being tied up against your will while enduring the extreme pain of ropes in wounds must have been hell, especially for a child. This alone is traumatising on so many levels.
I’m almost afraid to ask but, you have first hand experience with ‘deep lacerations from being tied up with rope’?
I’m going to go ahead and imagine in my head that this is just because of kinky stuff for this person.
No, I never had injuries from ropes, but I assume I know how much more force would have been necessary to inflict those wounds. I’m sorry for the poor wording, English is not my first language.
Horrible atrocities. So sad that kids had to endure that.
And they will have a lifetime of PTSD to deal with on top of what they’ve already suffered.
I had the same thought. I know people with complex PTSD from mild but persistent childhood abuse and it has made life hell for some of them. I can’t even imagine what it must be like for these children.
Removed by mod
Bad news there, the republiQan supermajority in Utah is going whole hog on Jesufying all the horribleness they can conceive as quickly as possible. Starting with the “law” that they can ignore federal law now.
Yeah Jake, it’s Crazytown.
sentenced up to 60 years
but state law limits the maximum aggregate sentence for consecutive terms to 30 years.
Fucking lying headlines. Doesn’t matter what she’s sentenced to if state law is less than that.
The sentence is still 60 years even if the state puts a cap on it. People commonly receive 150 year sentences but would never serve it fully.
Still it’s a scummy way to write it in the same way it’s scummy for Comcast to tell me that my internet download speed is “up to 900Mbps.”
millions of followers
No one gonna question why such sick abusive people gained that kind of popularity to begin with?
I think there is an element of crazy Mormon moms watching other Mormon moms be crazy Mormons.
@Fisk400 yeah, there’s a whole Mormon YouTube ecosystem out there with all kinds of content.
Why are you tagging all these people?
I think that happens when they’re posting from Mastodon instead of using a proper Lemmy client, or something like that.
(You might notice the tags are specifically for the people directly upthread of their comment, including the post itself. I think it has something to do with how Mastodon keeps track of that conversation flow.)
In Mormon culture, moms with more than 5 children receive constant positive reinforcement. Just because they have that many kids they are instantly viewed as “Good Moms”. So many narcissistic women have tons of kids due to social expectations.
Then at church and in front of social media they present a perfect image of the happy Mormon family. Hidden underneath the children’s clothing and in their minds is written a long history of abuse and neglect.
Traditionally all abuse including sexual abuse has been handled by the untrained clergy and mostly covered up. Recently more has been pushed to the legal system as lawsuits against the church are becoming more common. With the churches hundred’s of billions in funds and assets at stake, they are covering up less.
May i come in to speak with you about the real housewives?
insert cat and screaming woman meme
Let me guess… Mormons?
The Frankes are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Utah, the Florida of child abuse.
Ah Florida, the Australia of the northern hemisphere.
Wait, when did Florida become the greatest place to live on earth?
Australia, the New Zealand of Australia.
New Zealand is not real.
Having lived in Florida, I can assure it, it’s completely unreal.
It has been my experience that those who try the hardest to convince others that they are doing the right thing must try so hard because they, themselves, know very well that they are doing the wrong thing, and it is actually themselves that they are trying to convince.
Well said
I’m pretty confused by the headline and article. Up to 60 years, but according to Ohio law, a max of 30 years? And the sentences are 1-15 each, so as few as 4 years? Maybe even less with good behavior? Jesus Christ (of latter day saints) that’s a big spread in possible prison time
LegalEagle on YouTube has a good video about federal sentencing guidelines that might be helpful. It wouldn’t be the same in state court, but similar principles might apply.
I’m going to go hug my son…so terrible
Sometimes I get frustrated and lose patience with my youngest, especially in the evening when he’s going wild and I’m tired. Occasionally I’ll get short or snippy with him, and it’s a guarantee that night I’m gonna lay in bed feeling guilty and regretting it. Then i get up and go give him kisses while he sleeps, and the next morning I give him extra warm hugs and spoil him a little more that day. I never want him to doubt how much I love him, I can’t comprehend people like this woman.
