By: Carson Devitt 2/21/2024
The popular YouTube celebrity, Ruby Franke, has been sentenced to up to 60 years in prison for felony child abuse. In 2023 Franke was arrested in August with six counts of felony child abuse, four of which she pleaded guilty to in December. The other two charges were dismissed, according to the Washington County Attorney’s Office.
The charges were made against Franke back in August after her youngest son escaped. He has been said to be the main target of Franke’s abuse over the years. He showed up at the home of a neighbor while “emaciated and malnourished, with open wounds and duct tape around the extremities.” The St. George Police Department released the 911 call where the neighbor emotionally told the dispatcher, “I just had a 12-year-old boy show up here in my front door asking for help.” And went on to say “We know there’s been some problems at this neighbor's house. He's emaciated. He’s got tape around his legs. He’s hungry and he’s thirsty.”
This child abuse case has gained national attention, especially from her YouTube followers where she vlogged her life as a mom of 6. Ironically, Franke shared no-nonsense parenting tips and insights on her YouTube channel “8 Passengers.” Over the years her followers became suspicious of abuse and in 2020 petitioned authorities. In Franke's public plea agreement in December of 2023, she admitted to physically abusing her 12-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter.
Some of the abuse her son was subjected to was physical tasks outdoors in the summer heat for “hours and days at a time,” sometimes made to “stand in direct sunlight for several days.” As a result, reportedly, the son suffered “serious sunburns” causing blisters. Early on in the investigations law enforcement alleged that the wounds were rubbed down with cayenne pepper and honey. Her son and daughter were also “denied food and water” and “he was punished when he secretly consumed water."
In court, Franke cried multiple times expressing shame for abusing her children, and said, "My charges are just, they offer safety to my family."