Convicted child abuser Ruby Franke tearfully issued a mea culpa to her six children before a judge sentenced her to up to 60 years in prison.
“To my babies, my six little chicks. You are part of me,” the disgraced “8 Passengers” Youtuber, 42, said in a Utah court Tuesday, according to “Today.”
“I was the mama duck who was consistently waddling you to safety. I can see now that over the past four years, I was in a deep undercurrent that led us to danger.”
Franke, who was arrested in August 2023 on multiple charges of aggravated child abuse, then claimed in her emotional speech that she was “so disoriented” when committing her crimes that she believed “dark was light and right was wrong.”
“I would do anything in this world for you,” she added. “My willingness to sacrifice all for you was masterfully manipulated … I took from you all that was soft, and safe, and good.
“I took from you, your mother. How terrifying this must have been for you. I will never stop crying for hurting your tender souls. You’re so precious to me. I’m sorry.”
Prosecutor Eric Clarke blasted Franke and her co-conspirator, Jodi Hildebrandt, in court, stating neither should be able to blame religion for their poor actions.
“I think that a four-year minimum for Ruby’s actions are entirely appropriate,” the lawyer said outside of the courtroom Tuesday, per “Today.”
“I hope that Jodi serves more time than that and I hope that she isn’t out of prison until everybody is completely confident that she’s no longer a risk. And to get there, she’s going to have to acknowledge that she has done wrong and that you can’t use religion as a means to justify your crazy behavior.”
A judge sentenced Ruby and Hildebrandt Tuesday to four counts of one to 15 years, served consecutively.
However, per Utah law, when consecutive sentences are issued, their imprisonment terms must not exceed more than 30 years.
The Utah Board of Pardons and Parole will ultimately determine the former business partners’ exact amount of prison time, and Ruby has 30 days to appeal the decision.
She said in court after the decision was read, “I am humbled and willing to serve a prison sentence for as long as I need. I am committed to unlearning my toxic behavior.”
Franke and Hildebrandt were exposed after one of the former’s children fled his house, leading a concerned neighbor to call 911.
“I just had a 12-year-old boy show up here at my front door asking for help, and he said he just came from a neighbor’s house, and we know there’s been problems at this neighbor’s house,” the man told an emergency dispatched in audio previously obtained by Fox News.
“He’s emaciated. He’s got tape around his legs. He’s hungry, and he’s thirsty. … I don’t think he needs an ambulance. I’ll let the cops decide that, but his ankles are taped up, and he won’t tell us why. … There’s sores around him.”
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Both women pleaded guilty in December 2023, with Franke admitting at the time that she tortured her children by holding their heads under water and starving them.
The kids’ father, Kevin Franke, has maintained that he had no awareness and played no role in his estranged wife’s misdeeds.
Shortly after Ruby was arrested, it was revealed that the associate professor had been secretly separated from the influencer for more than a year by the time she was taken into police custody.
He then filed for divorce in November 2023 and at the same time requested a domestic relations injunction, which requires all parties involved in the case to not harass, commit acts of violence or disparage the other or their children in any way.
Four of the Franke children, who are still underage, are under the care of child protective services as their parents’ custody hearings are still underway.
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