YouTuber Ruby Franke Sentenced in Child Abuse Case
Content warning: This story discusses child abuse.
Ruby Franke is planning to face her fate.
The YouTuber—who pled guilty to four charges in her child abuse case—is not planning to appeal her sentence after she was given four to 60 years in prison for her crimes, which the state will cap at the 30-year maximum.
"As far as we know, Ruby Franke does not have any intentions of appealing the sentence," a spokesperson for her attorney at Winward Law told Today on Feb. 21. "She has taken full responsibility for her actions and is prepared to serve her time in prison."
The sentence was handed down at a hearing on Feb. 20, when a judge gave her four consecutive one- to 15-year sentences, which would total four to 60 years behind bars if not for the state maximum of 30 years. The amount of time she will serve will be decided by the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole, according to NBC News.
During the hearing, the 42-year-old apologized to her six children and to estranged husband Kevin Franke, who filed for divorce in December.
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"For the past four years, I've chosen to follow counsel and guidance that has led me into a dark delusion," Ruby said in court, per the livestream on the Utah court's website. "My distorted version of reality went largely unchecked as I would isolate from anyone who challenged me."
She then addressed her "babies," saying, "I believed dark was light and right was wrong. I would do anything in this world for you. I took from you all that was soft and safe, and good."
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"Kevin, my husband of 23 years, you are the love of my life," she continued. "I am so sorry to leave to you what we both started together."
Ruby, who ran the defunct 8 Passengers channel, was arrested over aggravated child abuse charges in August. At the time, Utah police received a report of a starving child and investigated the allegations, the Santa Clara-Ivins Public Safety Department said in a press release.
Authorities determined the child was in "severe" condition, looked "emaciated and malnourished" and had "open wounds and duct tape around the extremities." The child was taken to the hospital.
One day after Ruby's arrest, her sisters Ellie Mecham, Bonnie Hoellein and Julie Deru spoke out publicly on the situation.
"For the last 3 years we have kept quiet on the subject of Ruby Franke for the sake of her children," they wrote in a joint statement on Instagram. "Behind the public scene, we have done everything to try and make sure the kids were safe. Ruby was arrested which needed to happen."
The siblings also noted the kids were safe, "which is the number one priority."
(E!, NBC News and Today are all part of the NBCUniversal family.)
Read on for a complete timeline of the case.