Ruby Franke’s Prison Sentence: How Long Will She Be in Jail?

This post contains disturbing discussions of child abuse.

Former family vlogger Ruby Franke is currently serving time behind bars after pleading guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse in December 2023. She received her sentence two months later in February 2024, and now the full story is coming to the small screen in Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke.

Before the three-part docuseries premieres on February 27, here’s a look at what you need to know about the subject of Hulu’s latest true-crime feature.

What was Ruby Franke convicted of?

Franke was arrested in August 2023 after one of her six children escaped the home of Franke’s friend, Jodi Hildebrant, and sought help from a neighbor, who called 9-1-1. The then 12-year-old’s condition, along with that of his 9-year-old sister, was described as “emaciated and malnourished.”

Franke was charged with six counts of felony child abuse when she was arrested, but two of the charges were dropped as part of her plea deal.

What was Ruby Franke’s sentence?

The former YouTube star received four separate prison sentences for 1 to 15 years, which will run consecutively. While this would mean a 60-year maximum sentence, the most severe penalty under Utah law is 30 years, so Franke won’t serve more than 30 years total.

The exact length of her sentence will be determined by the Board of Pardons and Parole. The board will reportedly make their decision in December 2026 when Franke appears before them, according to KSL.

When Franke was arrested, she was held without bail due to the “severity of injuries” on her children, so she has been behind bars since August 2023.

What did Ruby Franke do?

Franke documented her Mormon family’s life on her 8 Passengers YouTube channel, which has since been deleted. After gaining popularity, she eventually began facing backlash when her extreme punishment methods for the children were exposed. Franke would allegedly deprive her kids of necessities for months at a time as a form of punishment. For example, her oldest son had to sleep on a bean bag in the basement of the family’s home for seven months after he started acting out.

Utah’s Division of Child and Family Services investigated the Franke’s after online commenters became concerned about the mom of six’s strict parenting style. However, the case was dropped due to lack of evidence, according to Business Insider.

Franke developed a close relationship with controversial therapist Hildebrant, eventually moving into Hildebrant’s home with her four youngest children following her separation from husband Kevin Franke, which she initiated at Hildebrant’s suggestion.

While residing at Hildebrant’s home, the abuse took an extreme turn. Police discovered that the children were not only malnourished, but had been bound with ropes, chains, and handcuffs. Before Franke pled guilty, her legal team placed the blame on Hildebrant’s influence.

What happened to Jodi Hildebrant?

Like Franke, Hildebrant was also charged with child abuse and received four separate prison sentences for 1 to 15 years. Utah’s Board of Pardons and Parole will determine how much of the sentence Hildebrant serves, with the maximum being 30 years under Utah law.

When does the Ruby Franke Hulu series premiere?

A three-part docuseries about Franke called Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke will begin streaming on Hulu on Thursday, February 27. It will feature interviews with Franke’s estranged husband, Kevin, and two oldest children, Shari Franke and Chad Franke. This is the first time they will be sharing their story in-depth on camera.

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The logline for the series reads, “With exclusive access to the Frankes, their friends and neighbors, and over a thousand hours of their YouTube channels’ unseen footage, Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke cuts through the social media reaction to explore the untold story behind the Ruby Franke case: part family tragedy, part coming of-age narrative, part tale of our times about the perils of life lived online.”

Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke, Streaming, Thursday, February 27, Hulu

If you or someone you know is the victim of child abuse, contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453). If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.

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