Thu. Dec 26th, 2024
Occasional Digest - a story for you

Feb. 20 (UPI) — Former parenting YouTuber Ruby Franke on Tuesday was sentenced to four consecutive terms of one to 15 years in prison on child abuse charges.

Frank’s business partner Jodi Hildebrandt also pleaded guilty this past December and on Tuesday was sentenced to four one-to-15 year prison terms, as well.

Franke gained a substantial following on her parenting YouTube channel, Eight Passengers.

In August, Franke and Hildebrandt were arrested when two of Franke’s children were discovered in a malnourished state in Hildebrandt’s home.

In December, Franke and Hildebrandt pleaded guilty to four counts of second-degree aggravated child abuse as part of a plea agreement to avoid more serious charges.

“For the past four years, I’ve chosen to follow counsel and guidance that has led me into a dark delusion,” Franke told the court.

Franke also said that she had “believed dark was light and right was wrong.”

Franke also told the court that Hildebrandt had not been her business partner.

Hildebrandt told the court that she avoided a trial in part to ensure Franke’s children “did not want them to emotionally relive experiences which would have been detrimental to them.”

Utah law caps consecutive sentences at 30 years, meaning the pair will not serve the full 60 years of all four 15-year sentences and will be eligible for parole.

Source link