YouTube vlogger Ruby Franke, business partner Jodi Hildebrandt sentenced in child abuse case

Ruby Franke, the YouTube vlogger who pleaded guilty to aggravated child abuse of two of her children, was sentenced Tuesday to four consecutive terms of one to 15 years in prison.

How much time Franke spends in prison will depend on the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole.

Franke and his former business partner, Connections Classroom founder Jodi Hildebrandt, both pleaded guilty to four counts of child abuse in Washington County 5th District Court in Utah in December.

After Franke, Hildebrandt was sentenced to four consecutive terms of one to 15 years.

In their plea agreements, Franke and Hildebrandt admitted causing serious physical injury to Franke’s children or allowing another adult to cause serious physical injury between May and August 2023.

Before receiving his sentence, Franke read a tearful statement in court Tuesday.

Franke said, “For the past four years, I have chosen to follow advice and guidance that has led me into a dark illusion. My distorted version of reality has gone largely unchecked because anyone who would challenge me would I will separate from him.”

“I was led to believe that this world is a bad place filled with controlling cops, traumatizing hospitals, brainwashing government agencies, lying and lustful church leaders, husbands who refuse to protect, and abusers. is filled with children in need,” Franke said.

“Jody Hildebrandt was never my business partner, nor was I ever employed by her. I never received a salary or connections to her. Jody was hired as my son’s counselor in 2019 and in 2020. , I paid him to be my mentor,” Franke said. “It is important to me that I demonstrate my remorse and remorse without any blame. I take full accountability for my choices, and it is my preference to serve any prison sentence.”

Both women were arrested on August 30 after Frank’s 12-year-old son, who was staying at Hildebrandt’s home, climbed out the window, ran to a neighbor’s house and told the neighbor he had been abused.

Hildebrandt said in a statement in court, “I honestly love these children. I want them to heal emotionally. One of the reasons I didn’t go to trial is that I don’t want They were meant to emotionally relive experiences that would have been harmful to them.” ,

According to the plea agreement, Franke’s son was physically abused and “forced to perform physical tasks for hours and days at a time”. The settlement states that he was forced to work outside in the summer heat without shoes, standing in direct sunlight for several days, resulting in “repeated severe sunburns and skin burns.”

According to the agreement, the child was not given adequate water for several days when he had to stay in the heat and when he “secretly drank water” and was refused adequate food.

After trying to escape, her hands and feet were “routinely bound”, often using two sets of handcuffs for her wrists and ankles, the plea agreement said. Ropes were used to tie them together. His hands and lower legs were raised above the ground.

According to the plea agreement, the bondage resulted in injuries to the child’s wrists and ankles, with the handcuffs cutting the skin and causing muscle and tissue damage. As per the agreement, the injuries were treated with homeopathic remedies and covered with duct tape, before the child was re-tied over the duct tape.

Franke and another adult tried to convince the boy that he was “evil and depraved. And to avoid punishment he needed to be willingly obedient. And punishment was necessary to induce repentance,” the petition said. “

Another child was treated similarly, and was forced to work outside in the heat for long periods of time, running around barefoot, on dirt roads.

Two other charges against Franke were dismissed, according to the Washington County Attorney’s Office. She agreed to serve the sentences consecutively as part of her plea agreement.

“Ruby Franke wants to take responsibility for the harm she caused to her children and her entire family. She knows that by pleading guilty and accepting the sentence, she is taking a step in the right direction towards being accountable for her actions.” Franke’s lawyers said in a statement to ABC News in December.

Prosecutor Eric Clark told reporters after the sentencing that he expected Hildebrandt to serve a longer sentence than Franke. Clark said it appears Franke understands she was wrong in her abuse and has taken responsibility for it, but Hildebrandt made statements in a call from jail that showed she was unrepentant.

“At the end of the day, this is a case about religious extremism and I think Mrs. Franke’s statement adds to that. These people went down a rabbit hole and Ms. Hildebrandt believed that She was regularly talking to God and Ms. “Franke was following the instructions she was getting from Ms. Hildebrandt,” prosecutor Eric Clark told reporters.

Clark said the case is one of the worst child abuse cases his office has seen.

“I am very concerned that Jodie – if she were released today – would pose a greater risk of gathering followers,” Clarke said. “Ruby was basically Jodie’s follower, and if she’s gathering people and then convincing them to do this kind of thing, it’s a big risk.”

Hildebrandt’s attorney said that the statement he gave in court was “absolutely honest” and that what he said on the call with people who did not believe he was guilty of child abuse was not what he said. Currently believe.

“He entered into the plea agreement to take responsibility for his conduct in this case,” Hildebrandt’s attorney Doug Terry told reporters.

Franke’s attorney, Lamar Winward, told reporters that she accepted the judge’s sentence.

“We feel justice has been served today and Ruby is determined to change the way she thinks and acts while she is in prison,” Franke said.