Twisted YouTube influencer Ruby Franke inflicted horrific abuse on her children, who she claimed were “evil and possessed,” according to a disturbing confession that emerged Tuesday.
The disgraced mom influencer admitted she tortured her 12-year-old son by making him work outside for hours from May 22 to Aug. 30 and tied his feet when he tried to escape, according to court documents obtained by The Post.
Over the summer, Franke made the preteen work in the heat and without enough water until he suffered “severe and repeated sunburns,” according to the court document.
He also physically assaulted the boy for hours. When the boy tried to escape in July, Franke tied his hands and feet.
“Many times, the bondage included two sets of handcuffs, one on [the child’s] wrists and one on the ankles,” according to harrowing details in the court document.
“Sometimes, with [the child] Lying face down, ropes were used to tie the two sets of handcuffs so that his arms and lower legs were lifted off the ground.”
Ruby Franke took a deep breath during the December 18, 2023 hearing in St. George, Utah, before pleading guilty. AP Ruby Franke was arrested after her 12-year-old son escaped and ran for help. true_moms/instagram
Franke would only treat the boy’s wounds with “homeopathic remedies and cover them with duct tape.”
Franke, who promoted parenting advice until she was accused of child abuse, pleaded guilty Monday but said she remains a “devoted mother.”
The mother of six appeared handcuffed in a Utah courtroom wearing a gray and white jail jumpsuit and pleaded guilty to four felony counts of second-degree aggravated child abuse involving two of her children.
“With my deepest regret and sorrow for my family and my children, I feel guilty,” Franke responded when a judge asked him how he would like to plead.
Under the plea agreement, Franke agreed to serve a prison term with consecutive sentences. Each charge carries a penalty of one to 15 years in prison.
He will return to court for sentencing on February 20.
Ruby Franke admitted to tying her son’s hands and feet and starving him. She also physically and mentally abused her 9-year-old daughter, according to court documents. Instagram / @ moms_of_truth Momfluencer Ruby Franke of the YouTube channel “8 Passengers” was arrested for aggravated child abuse, but her husband, Kevin, denies any wrongdoing. passengers_official_/Instagram
Franke also admitted that he kicked his son while wearing boots, held his head underwater and cut off his oxygen by covering his mouth with his hands, according to the plea agreement.
The disgraced “8 Pasajeros” host also abused her 9-year-old daughter, forcing her to perform physical tasks and denying her food and water.
Franke told his two sons that the torture they suffered were “acts of love” and that they were both “evil and possessed.”
Ruby Franke’s neighbors warned police about the YouTuber before she was arrested on child abuse charges. moms_of_truth/Instagram Jodi Hildebrandt (left) was also accused of child abuse. real_moms/Instagram
The YouTube channel “8 Passengers” went on to amass 2.5 million subscribers and followed the lives of Franke, her husband, Kevin, and their six children.
Kevin Franke denied having any role in the abuse, according to his lawyer.
Ruby Franke and her co-defendant, relationship counselor and business partner Jodi Hildebrandt, were arrested on August 30 after the 12-year-old boy managed to escape from Hildebrandt’s home in Ivins, Utah.
The boy went to a neighbor’s house, who said he was emaciated, had duct tape around his legs and was “covered in wounds,” according to the 911 call released by police.
Ruby Franke’s defense attorney, LaMar Winward, said Hildebrandt influenced his client.
The lawyer added that Hildebrandt allegedly “systematically isolated” Franke from her extended family, her older children and her husband.
“Ruby Franke is a devoted mother and also a woman committed to constant improvement,” Winward Law said in a statement.
Franke initially believed that Hildebrandt “had the insight to offer a path to continuous improvement,” but said that Hildebrandt “took this pursuit and turned it into something atrocious.”
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Source: vtt.edu.vn