YouTube mom who gave parenting advice, Ruby Franke, pleads guilty in child abuse case

This image from video shows Ruby Franke during a hearing Monday, Dec. 18, 2023, in St. George, Utah. Franke, a Utah mother of six who gave parenting advice via a once-popular YouTube channel called ‘8 Passengers’ has pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse for abusing and starving two of her children. — AP

A Utah mother of six who gave parenting advice on YouTube pleaded guilty on Dec 18 to child abuse charges and will go to prison for trying to convince her two youngest children they were evil, possessed and needed to be punished to repent.

Ruby Franke stood shackled in gray and white jail clothing as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath before pleading guilty to each of her first three charges. On the fourth, she fought back some emotion before saying: “With my deepest regret and sorrow for my family and my children, guilty.”