On Tuesday, “8 Passengers” YouTuber Ruby Franke was sentenced in Utah to at least four years in prison for abusing her children.
KSL reported that Fifth District Judge John Walton gave Franke four consecutive sentences of one to 15 years in prison. Franke’s business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt, received the same sentence — meaning the pair could both serve up to 60 years in prison.
Franke and Hildebrant had pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse. Before being sentenced, Franke blamed her actions on paranoia as she claimed she believed the world was evil.
“The moment (an officer) handcuffed me was the moment I gained my freedom,” she said, according to KSL.
READ: ‘8 Passengers’ Vlogger Ruby Franke Pleads Guilty to Child Abuse
In addition to forcing her son’s head underwater, Franke admitted to hogtying him with handcuffs that were tied together as he lay on his stomach. The cuffs Franke used on her son damaged his muscles and tissue when they cut through his ankles and wrists.
Like Franke, Hildebrandt said they tried to convince Franke’s son that he was evil and that the abuse was an “act of love.”
“After (Franke’s son) attempted to run away in July, his hands and feet were regularly bound. Binding included being tied to an adult and to weights,” a statement detailed.
Franke also withheld food and water from her daughter, in addition to injuring her at least twice by forcing her to complete physical tasks. One of those instances involved having the girl work outside barefoot during the summer. Meanwhile, Hildebrandt said she forced the girl to jump into a cactus.
On August 30, Franke’s 12-year-old son reportedly went to a neighbor’s home to ask for food and water. That neighbor called police, leading cops to Hildebrandt’s home where they located a 10-year-old child who was reportedly also malnourished.
Franke’s two children were staying with Hildebrandt at the time. Hildebrandt directly cared for the children, but police suspect Franke was aware of the abuse as she filmed a YouTube video in Hildebrandt’s basement two days before the August 30 incident.
Franke had agreed to testify against Hildebrandt at trial. However, Hildebrandt pleaded guilty to the charges against her in late December. In doing so, she confessed to abusing Franke’s 9- and 11-year-old children between May 22 and August 30 and allowing Franke to do so as well.
“I am humbled and willing to serve a prison sentence for as long as I need,” Franke said on Tuesday. “I am committed to unlearning my toxic behavior.”
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[Featured image: Jodi Hildebrandt, Ruby Franke/Instagram]
