Former family vlogger Ruby Franke has pleaded guilty in her child abuse case.
Back in September, it was revealed that the “8Passengers” YouTuber had been arrested and charged with child abuse. She and her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt were taken into custody after a neighbor called about a child who came to their house looking for food and water.
On Monday (December 18), Ruby appeared in court in Washington County, Utah and pleaded guilty to four felony counts of second-degree aggravated child abuse, NBC News reports.
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As part of a plea deal, Ruby pleaded guilty to four counts rather than the six she was initially charged with.
“With my deepest regret and sorrow for my family and my children, guilty,” Ruby said when the judge asked how she pleaded.
Ruby has been held without bond since her arrest and is pursuing “personal growth and rehabilitation” by apologizing to and trying to reconcile with members of her family, according to her attorneys.
Ruby and her estranged husband Kevin – who filed for divorce last month – rose to prominence through their “8Passengers” YouTube channel which portrayed their strict parenting style for their six kids. The channel, which was started in 2015, was recently shut down following Ruby‘s arrest.
As part of her plea agreement, Ruby will testify against Jodi.
Ruby‘s attorneys shared in a statement with People that she “found herself on this challenging path under the influence of Ms. Hildebrant,” and said that she was “led astray. The statement also called Ruby a “devoted mother” who hell under Jodi‘s “influence.”
“Initially, Ms. Franke believed that Jodi Hildebrant had the insight to offer a path to continual improvement,” the statement claimed. “Ms. Hildebrant took advantage of this quest and twisted it into something heinous. Over an extended period, Ms. Hildebrant systematically isolated Ruby Franke from her extended family, older children, and her husband, Kevin Franke. This prolonged isolation resulted in Ms. Franke being subjected to a distorted sense of morality, shaped by Ms. Hildebrandt’s influence.”
Ruby‘s sentencing is scheduled for February 20, 2024.
One of Ruby‘s six kids recently spoke out after her arrest.