Utah parenting blogger Ruby Franke, known for her popular YouTube channel, appeared in court on Monday and pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse. Franke, along with her co-host and co-defendant Jodi Hildebrandt, were charged with six counts of child abuse in September after two of Franke’s children were rescued by the police from Hildebrandt’s home.
According to court documents, one of the children was subjected to physical abuse, including being forced to do strenuous physical tasks for extended periods of time, being exposed to direct sunlight resulting in severe sunburns, and being denied sufficient food and water. The child’s hands and feet were regularly bound, and at times, ropes were used to lift his limbs off the ground.
The second count involved severe emotional harm inflicted on the same child, with attempts to convince him that he was evil and needed to be obedient to avoid punishment. The third and fourth counts involved similar treatment inflicted on another child, including isolation, physical tasks, denial of food and water, and being forced to run barefoot on dirt roads.
Franke’s guilty plea is part of a plea deal, and she is scheduled to be sentenced on February 20. As part of the agreement, she will testify against Hildebrandt. The abuse came to light when one of Franke’s sons showed up at a neighbor’s house seeking help, revealing emaciation and signs of physical restraint.
Franke’s husband, Kevin Franke, is not mentioned in the police reports. Authorities later located the rest of Franke’s children at different locations, including two at another adult’s house in American Fork, Utah.
The case has garnered significant attention due to Franke’s online presence as a parenting blogger. The guilty plea highlights the severity of the abuse allegations and the impact it had on the children involved.
This incident raises important questions about the responsibility of influencers and the need for safeguards to protect vulnerable individuals, especially children, from potential abuse. The sentencing of Franke and the upcoming trial of Hildebrandt will likely continue to draw attention as the legal proceedings progress.
