Ruby Franke, a former parenting YouTuber who ran the channel “8 Passengers”, and Jodi Hildebrandt, a counselor and founder of ConneXions Classroom, have been sentenced to up to 30 years in prison for child abuse charges.
The two women pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse in December, admitting that they inflicted or allowed serious physical injuries on Franke’s children between May and August 2023.
The abuse came to light when Franke’s 12-year-old son escaped from Hildebrandt’s house, where he had been staying, and ran to a neighbor’s home to ask for help. The boy told the neighbor that he had been bound, starved, beaten, and told that he was possessed.
The police investigation revealed that Franke’s nine-year-old daughter had also suffered similar abuse, and that both children had been subjected to extreme punishments and torture methods devised by Hildebrandt, who claimed to be a mentor and therapist for Franke and her family.
Franke, who had more than two million subscribers on YouTube, had been posting videos of her family life and giving parenting advice for years. She had also collaborated with Hildebrandt on a podcast and a book about parenting.
The prosecutor, Eric Clarke, compared the environment that Franke’s children faced to a “concentration camp-like setting” and said that Franke and Hildebrandt were a “significant threat” to the community.
The judge, G. Michael Westfall, sentenced both women to four consecutive prison terms of one to 15 years each, the maximum penalty allowed under Utah law. The actual prison time will be determined by the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole.
Both women expressed remorse and apologized to the court and the victims before their sentencing. Franke said that she had been “led to believe that this world is an evil place” and that she had paid Hildebrandt to be her mentor. She also thanked the public safety officials who rescued her children, calling them “angels”.
The case has sparked outrage and disbelief among the public, especially among Franke’s former fans and followers, who had watched her videos and trusted her parenting tips. Many have also questioned the credibility and qualifications of Hildebrandt, who had been offering counseling services and courses through her business, ConneXions Classroom.
