YouTube mom who gave parenting advice, Ruby Franke, pleads guilty in child abuse case
BY AMY BETH HANSON
Updated 5:29 PM EST, December 18, 2023
A Utah mother of six who gave parenting advice on YouTube pleaded guilty Monday to child abuse charges and will go to prison for trying to convince her two youngest children they were evil, possessed and needed to be punished to repent.
Ruby Franke stood shackled in gray and white jail clothing as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath before pleading guilty to each of her first three charges. On the fourth, she fought back some emotion before saying: With my deepest regret and sorrow for my family and my children, guilty.
Judge John J. Walton scheduled sentencing for Feb. 20 after accepting the plea agreement, which described new details of the abuse the children endured, including the claims that they were possessed. Under the plea agreement, Franke agreed to serve a prison term and the sentences will run consecutively. Sentencing would be up to the judge.
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Under Utah law, second-degree aggravated child abuse can be charged if that person knowingly or intentionally inflicts serious physical injury to a child or causes or permits another to inflict serious physical injury to their child. Each charge carries a sentence of one to 15 years in prison.
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The abuse of those poor children as outlined in the plea agreement is horrific. I hope she gets more than a slap on the wrist because what she allowed her accomplice, Jodi Hildebrand, to do is beyond evil. Also, I think the LDS Church has a lot to answer for because they encouraged Hildebrand's abuse for years and made her a very wealthy woman by funneling clients to her through the Church. They often paid for her services even though she had her license revoked for 18 months for ethics violations involving informing the Church about confidential things that came up in private sessions. Former clients also said she frequently lied to and about them. Ruby Franke is now blaming Hildebrand for "warping" her sense of morality. Bull pucky. Franke was abusive when she was on YouTube, way before she met Hildebrand.