The Shocking Downfall Of Ruby Franke: 5 Key Facts About The '8 Passengers' Momfluencer And Her Prison Sentence

As of the current date, December 18, 2025, the name Ruby Franke is no longer synonymous with the cheerful, if controversial, image of a family vlogger, but rather with one of the most shocking cases of child abuse in the history of social media. The former matriarch of the massively popular "8 Passengers" YouTube channel, which once boasted nearly 2.5 million subscribers, is now serving a significant prison sentence after pleading guilty to horrific crimes against her own children. Her story serves as a stark warning about the dark side of "momfluencer" culture, religious extremism, and the dangers lurking behind a seemingly perfect online facade. The details of her crime, revealed in court documents and her subsequent guilty plea, are far more disturbing than the strict parenting advice she offered for years on her now-defunct channel. Alongside her business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt, Franke was convicted of second-degree felony aggravated child abuse, a crime that has effectively ended her public life and sentenced her to a minimum of four years behind bars. The legal proceedings in Washington County, Utah, brought to light a pattern of severe physical and emotional cruelty that was hidden from millions of viewers.

Ruby Franke: A Biography and Timeline of Controversy

Ruby Franke's journey from a seemingly devoted mother of six to a convicted felon is a complex narrative rooted in family, faith, and the relentless pursuit of online fame.

• Full Name: Ruby Franke (née Griffiths)
• Born: January 18, 1982
• Hometown: Utah, USA
• Husband: Kevin Franke (filed for divorce after her arrest)
• Children: Six (Shari, Chad, Abby, Julie, Russell, and Eve)
• YouTube Channel: 8 Passengers (Active from 2015 to 2023, now defunct)
• Business Venture: ConneXions (a life-coaching service co-founded with Jodi Hildebrandt)
• Arrest Date: August 30, 2023, in Ivins, Utah
• Guilty Plea: December 18, 2023
• Sentencing Date: February 20, 2024
• Conviction: Four counts of second-degree felony aggravated child abuse
• Sentence: Four consecutive terms of 1 to 15 years in prison (minimum of 4 years, maximum of 60 years under Utah law)

Franke, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), initially found success documenting her large family's life, homeschooling, and parenting style. However, the channel, "8 Passengers," faced increasing scrutiny for years over controversial disciplinary methods, which many viewers and Child Protective Services (CPS) observers flagged as abusive.

1. The Rise and Fall of '8 Passengers' YouTube Empire

The "8 Passengers" channel was a cornerstone of the family vlogging genre, creating a lucrative business out of the daily lives of Ruby, her husband Kevin Franke, and their six children. The content focused heavily on their strict, often harsh, parenting philosophy, which Ruby Franke openly shared as advice to her millions of followers. The Franke family’s strict rules and punishments began to draw significant backlash from the online community long before her arrest. Controversies included an incident where her son, Chad Franke, claimed he was forced to sleep on a beanbag chair for seven months, and another where her daughter, Eve Franke, had her bedroom taken away for a period of time. These videos sparked widespread concern, with many viewers calling for an investigation by child welfare authorities into the family's practices. Franke eventually shifted her focus from "8 Passengers" to a new venture called ConneXions, a "mental health" and "life coaching" service she co-founded with Jodi Hildebrandt. This move marked a deeper dive into a more rigid, fundamentalist-leaning ideology that critics described as cult-like and which led to her estrangement from several family members, including her oldest daughter, Shari Franke, who publicly distanced herself from her mother's actions.

2. The Horrific Details of the Aggravated Child Abuse Charges

The events leading to Ruby Franke's arrest on August 30, 2023, were initiated by a desperate act of one of her minor children, R.F. The 12-year-old climbed out of a window at Jodi Hildebrandt’s home in Ivins, Utah, and ran to a neighbor’s house, begging for food and water. The child was severely emaciated and had open wounds and deep lacerations from being tied up with rope. The subsequent investigation and the details of the guilty plea in December 2023 painted a picture of sustained and severe torture. Ruby Franke admitted to four counts of second-degree felony aggravated child abuse involving R.F. and another child, E.F.. The plea agreement specifically detailed the following acts of cruelty:

• Starvation and Malnutrition: Both children were denied adequate food and water over an extended period, leading to severe physical deterioration.
• Physical Restraints: Franke admitted to using rope and handcuffs to tie up the children, a practice that caused the deep wounds found on R.F.
• Forced Labor and Exposure: The children were forced to perform manual labor outdoors for hours in extreme summer heat without proper protection.
• Wound Treatment as Punishment: In a particularly disturbing detail, Franke admitted to treating the children's open wounds with a mixture of cayenne pepper and honey, a painful form of punishment.
• Isolation: The children were kept in isolation, often in a closet, and prevented from having contact with the outside world.

These shocking revelations confirmed the worst fears of the online community and provided the concrete evidence needed for the prosecution to secure a conviction.

3. The Sentencing and Prison Time for Franke and Hildebrandt

On February 20, 2024, Ruby Franke and her business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt, were sentenced in Washington County, Utah. The judge ordered both women to serve four consecutive terms of 1 to 15 years in prison. This sentence means they must serve a minimum of four years before being eligible for parole, with the potential for the sentence to run up to 60 years, depending on the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole. During the sentencing hearing, Franke expressed remorse, stating that she was "deeply sorry" and believed she was following the "path to salvation" under the influence of her business partner. However, prosecutors argued that Franke was a willing and active participant in the abuse, emphasizing the severity of the crimes. The consecutive nature of the sentence—meaning the terms are stacked, one after the other—reflects the court's view of the gravity of the aggravated child abuse, which involved multiple victims and multiple distinct acts of cruelty. The sentencing brought a measure of closure to the case, though the emotional and psychological recovery for the Franke children remains a long-term process.

4. The Role of Jodi Hildebrandt and the ConneXions Program

The legal case firmly established that Ruby Franke did not act alone. Her business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt, an unlicensed counselor who ran the ConneXions program, was a co-defendant and received the identical prison sentence. The ConneXions program, which offered "self-improvement" and "parenting advice," is central to the case's narrative. Prosecutors and family members, including Franke's estranged husband Kevin Franke, suggested that Hildebrandt exercised undue influence and control over Ruby Franke, leading her down a path of increasing isolation and extremist beliefs. Hildebrandt’s own plea agreement and sentencing statement, however, indicated a shared responsibility for the systematic abuse. The program, which promoted a rigid and often punitive view of personal responsibility and family dynamics, is now widely viewed as a vehicle for psychological and physical harm, and its practices have been discredited.

5. The Aftermath: Family Fallout and Shari Franke's Fight for Justice

The fallout from the Ruby Franke case has deeply fractured the Franke family. Kevin Franke, Ruby's husband, filed for divorce shortly after her arrest and has been working to regain custody of the minor children who were placed in state care. The oldest Franke daughter, Shari Franke, who had previously distanced herself from her mother and the "8 Passengers" channel, became an outspoken voice for her younger siblings. Shari Franke used her own social media platform to confirm the arrest and express her relief that justice was finally being served. Her public statements have been crucial in providing a counter-narrative to the one presented by her mother online, highlighting the long-term struggle of the Franke children to break free from the cycle of abuse and control. The story of Ruby Franke is a complex tragedy that highlights the intersection of family, faith, mental health, and the unchecked power of social media influence. The definitive sentencing on February 20, 2024, marked the end of the "8 Passengers" era, replacing the glossy image of a perfect family with the harsh reality of a criminal conviction for aggravated child abuse. The case remains a cautionary tale about separating the curated reality of online personalities from the truth.