The shocking story of Ruby Franke, ‘momfluencer’ sentenced for child abuse

Everything you watch on YouTube is not to be aped. And millions of followers do not make you a hero. The case of American influencer Ruby Franke is shocking proof. The now infamous YouTuber has been sentenced to prison for child abuse.

The 42-year-old faces four to 60 years in prison along with her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt for what the prosecution described as “concentration camp-like” child abuse. Franke, who had previously pleaded guilty to starving and abusing her children, apologised in the court tearfully on Tuesday as she learnt what was in store.

In a court in Utah, prosecutor Eric Clarke said that two of Franke’s children, aged nine and 11 at the time, lived in a “concentration camp-like setting” and called her a significant threat to the community, according to a report by the BBC.

So how did Franke go from influencer to prisoner? We take a look.

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Who is Ruby Franke?

Ruby Franke was a family vlogger from Utah, United States, who garnered millions of followers on social media, as she documented her family’s life along with her now-estranged husband Kevin. In 2015, the couple started posting vlogs on “8Passengers”, their now-deleted YouTube channel, talking about their life as parents of six children. The Frankes are Mormon, a conservative religious group that embraces the concept of Christianity.

Ruby Franke often denied food to her children and almost all forms of entertainment, according to Uttah’s prosecuting attorney. Image courtesy: Moms of Truth/Instagram

In over 1,000 videos posted on the channel, Franke recorded some everyday moments and some intimate ones and amassed about 2.5 million followers earning the status of a “momfluencer”, known for her parenting advice. The children were seen learning how to shave, trying on new clothes and being reprimanded.

Franke’s videos were mostly recorded in the selfie style, as she spoke to her children and then to her audience explaining her parenting decisions as they unfolded in real time. Some of her lessons contained spiritual undertone or light references to traditional values, according to a report in NPR.

How did Franke come under the scanner?

In 2020, the content put out by the Franke family came under scrutiny. She was criticised by viewers and other content creators for what many perceived as “toxic behaviour”. Her strict parenting techniques, where she abused her children in front of her viewers, became concerning.

In a June 2020 video, one of Franke’s sons, who was then 15, said he’d slept on a beanbag for seven months after being banned from his shared bedroom for pranking his younger brother. Child services reportedly visited the family after an online petition was created to start a probe. However, the investigation was closed because “the claims were unsupported”, reports Insider.

Ruby and Kevin Franke documented their life with their six children on YouTube. Image courtesy: 8Passengers/YouTube

In another post, she refused to send food to her six-year-old daughter after she forgot her lunch at home. The mother defended the decision citing she was teaching her child personal responsibility.

In other videos, the influencer was seen threatening to take away her children’s meals as punishment, taking away their presents, and sending her oldest son to behavioural camp with little gear.

In June 2022, Franke joined a YouTube channel with Hildebrandt, who ran ConneXions, a Mormon life coaching service. They counselled the audience, gave parenting advice and spoke about family values and more. The two reportedly made homophobic, transphobic, and racist comments in their videos.

Also read: The Fall of Influencers: Why you might hate internet celebs you once adored

What led to Franke’s arrest?

In August 2023, the saga took a rather dark turn. Franke and Hildebrandt were arrested on charges of child abuse.

One of the influencer’s children escaped with clear signs of abuse. Franke’s 12-year-old son jumped out of the window of Hildebrandt’s house and ran into a neighbour’s home, asking for food and water. The neighbour called the police after noticing duct tape around the boy’s ankles. He was malnourished and had sustained “deep lacerations” from being tied up with a rope, according to the responding officer.

Hildebrandt’s house was searched, where the police discovered Franke’s 10-year-old daughter, who also appeared to be malnourished.

Frake and Hildebrandt were held on suspicion of two felony counts each of aggravated child abuse.

Franke appeared with her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt in YouTube videos together. Image courtesy: TikTok

According to the Associated Press (AP), Hildebrandt’s plea agreement says that she knew that children were being abused in the house she owned and allowed it to continue. She forced Franke’s youngest daughter, who was nine at the time, to jump into a cactus multiple times and forced her to run barefoot on dirt roads. She also admitted to helping Franke torture her youngest son.

Franke told her children that they were “evil and possessed” and needed to “repent”.

The arrest put an end to Franke’s controversial stint as a mommy vlogger.

What’s in store for Franke?

In December, the YouTuber pleaded guilty to child abuse charges

The sentencing was scheduled for 20 February, after accepting the plea agreement, under which Franke agreed to serve a prison term.

On Tuesday, after the sentencing, Franke apologised in court. She appeared with her business partner Hildebrandt.

This image from video shows Ruby Franke during a hearing in December last year in St George, Utah. File photo/AP

Uttah’s prosecuting attorney Clarke said, Franke’s children were “regularly denied food, water, beds to sleep in and virtually all forms of entertainment.”

“Had the older of the children not had the courage to run away and ask a neighbour to call the police, heaven only knows how much longer he could have survived in that situation,” he added.

The judge sentenced Franke and Hildebrandt to serve four terms of one to 15 years each. The sentences will run consecutively and are the maximum for each count under Utah law, reports the BBC.

Franke has 10 days to appeal the decision.

With inputs from agencies