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23rd February 2024
04:28pm GMT
Ruby Franke was once one of the most popular parenting stars on YouTube, but now, she is set to spend the rest of her life behind bars.
The mum had millions of people following her online, before being convicted of child abuse.
This week, Franke was convicted of four counts of child abuse. She was given a maximum sentence following her child abuse trial.
The mum is set to spend at least four years in prison after she was sentenced to four prison terms of one and 15 years each on aggravated child abuse charges on Tuesday.
Ruby Franke ran a parenting YouTube channel and amassed nearly two million followers since launching the channel in 2015. She documented her family’s life on the channel, but followers started to become aware of her parenting tactics.
The child abuse came to light when Ruby’s 12-year-old son escaped from their home. He fled to a nearby neighbour’s home to seek urgent help. When he was discovered, the young boy was severely malnourished.
He also had physical injuries and had duct tape on his limbs.
According to reports, her children were kept in “concentration-camp-like settings”.
Franke’s neighbour contacted the police after her son went to them for help.
Ruby Franke and her business partner, Jodi Hildebrant, were both arrested in August 2023.
Both Franke and Hildebrant were charged with six counts of child abuse each. They both pleaded guilty to the charges and were sentenced in February 2024.
They have been given four consecutive prison sentences of between one and 15 years each. Ruby Franke will serve between four and 60 years in prison for aggravated child abuse.
Her six children have since been placed into the custody of the Department of Children and Family Services following her arrest.
Meanwhile, Ruby’s husband Kevin was separated from Franke 13 months before her arrest. He has since filed for divorce, but he claims he knew nothing about the child abuse.
