Son of YouTuber Ruby Franke jokes about his mum going to jail over child abuse
The son of a ‘momfluencer’ who was jailed for abusing her own children has broken his silence.
Ruby Franke, a vlogger behind one of YouTube’s biggest channels, ‘8 Passengers’, documented her family life in southern Utah for her 2.3 million subscribers.
The 42-year-old was arrested in the city of Ivins in August after her malnourished son – with open wounds and bound with duct tape – escaped to a neighbour to plead for food and water.
Chad Franke, one of her six children, has appeared in a video on TikTok, dancing alongside his girlfriend.
In a caption, she says, ‘You’d love my mom!’ His response is ‘My mom’s in prison.’
The parody clip was shared three days before the sentencing on Tuesday, where Chad’s mum was seen weeping in court.
Franke was ordered to serve up to 30 years in prison for brutally abusing two of her own children in a ‘concentration camp-like setting.’
As Chad left the courthouse following the sentencing, he was seen with a large smile on his face.
Franke admitted having carried out a cruel campaign of abuse against her two youngest children, who she convinced were evil and needed to be ‘punished’ to repent.
She tortured her 12-year-old son by forcing him to work outside in the scorching heat for so long his sunburn blistered.
He and his sister were also denied food and water or offered very plain meals.
Franke was arrested alongside therapist Jodi Hildebrandt, who she collaborated with on parenting and relationship advice videos posted on Hildebrandt’s life coaching service ConneXions.
Both women were charged with six felony counts of aggravated child abuse. They later pleaded guilty to four of the counts, which each carry a sentence of one to 15 years in prison.
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