Six Children Starved and Abused... The Fate of a US Parenting YouTuber with 2.3 Million Subscribers

Caught Off Guard While Running a YouTube Channel with 2.3 Million Subscribers
Child Escapes and Seeks Help from Neighbors

An American parenting YouTuber known for strict childcare content has admitted to child abuse charges.

According to foreign media such as NBC and CBS on the 18th (local time), Ruby Franke, who raises six children in Utah, USA, appeared at the Washington County District Court that day and admitted to four out of six child abuse charges.

Franke was arrested last August after her 12-year-old son, suffering from malnutrition, escaped from the home of her business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt, and sought help from a neighbor. At Hildebrandt's house, her 10-year-old daughter was also found to be malnourished.

[Photo by AP·Yonhap News]

At the time, the children were malnourished due to inadequate food intake, and their bodies showed marks and wounds from being tied with tape.

According to records submitted to the court, Franke forced her son to do physical labor and made him work repeatedly under the scorching sun during summer, causing burns. She not only failed to provide enough food but also isolated her son from others by restricting access to books and electronic devices. CBS reported that when her son attempted to run away, she tied his hands and feet with ropes and other materials.

Franke also reportedly subjected her daughter to similar abuse, forcing her to work outside, run barefoot on unpaved roads, and go without food and water.

In court, Franke admitted guilt, saying, "I carry deep regret and sorrow for my family and children."

Up to 15 years in prison... Claims "Manipulated by Partner"

Ruby Franky (right) and Jodi Hildebrandt, arrested on charges of child abuse. [Photo by YouTube channel '8 Passengers']

Along with Franke, her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt was also arrested and brought to trial on child abuse charges.

Franke's lawyer defended her by claiming that Hildebrandt manipulated her. The lawyer argued, "Hildebrandt systematically isolated Franke from her family over a long period, which caused Franke to develop a distorted moral perspective."

Currently, four of the six children who are minors are under the protection of authorities, and sentencing for Franke is scheduled for February next year.

Franke's eldest daughter expressed on her social networking service (SNS) on the day her mother was arrested, saying, "I am very glad that justice has been served."

Meanwhile, Franke, a parenting YouTuber, had been running a childcare-related YouTube channel called '8 Passengers' since 2015.

Her main content involved somewhat strict and extreme parenting methods such as not feeding the children, forbidding them from entering their bedrooms for months, and throwing away their belongings. The content was controversial even at the time and ultimately led to child abuse. The channel was shut down earlier this year, and related content is no longer available.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.