Ruby Franke Went From Family Vlogger to Convicted Child Abuser — How Long Is Her Sentence?

In March 2024, the Washington County Attorney's Office of Utah released evidence from Ruby Franke's child abuse case. According to KUTV, this included a handwritten journal kept by Franke during the months she and Jodi Hildebrandt were abusing the former vlogger's children. The document, which was 60 pages in length, provided harrowing details, such as how she believed her children were possessed.

This journal would have been used in Franke's trial had she not pleaded guilty to four counts of second-degree child abuse in December 2023. During her sentencing, she apologized to her children and touched on her state of mind at the time. Franke lived in the state of Utah, which is where the sentencing occurred. They do things a bit differently there. Read on for more details on her prison sentence.

As part of a plea deal, Franke pleaded guilty to four of the six charges brought against her, per KSL.com. Fifth District Judge John Walton sentenced the former vlogger to "four terms of one to 15 years in prison" which means she'll serve anywhere between four and 60 years behind bars. Hildebrandt also pleaded guilty to second-degree child abuse and received the same sentence.

At her sentencing, Franke said she was led to believe the world was an evil place, and her "choice to believe the paranoia led to her criminal acts." It also "created a vulnerability and blind spot in her." She also thanked the police for saving her children, referring to the law enforcement officials as "angels." Franked added, "The moment [an officer] handcuffed me was the moment I gained my freedom."

The family vlogger claimed she was manipulated into thinking "dark was light and right was wrong." According to Franke, her children were her "six little chicks" and she was the "mama duck" who was supposed to keep them safe, but she ended up leading them to danger. She also lamented the demise of her marriage, describing that as a tragedy while vowing to shed her toxic layers in order to reenter society.

In an exclusive interview with People, Franke's estranged husband revealed that she continuously wrote letters to him until he asked her to stop. "The last letter that I received from her from prison was maybe in March or April of last year," he told the outlet in February 2025. "And then I requested the Department of Corrections to ask her to stop writing me. I didn't want to hear anymore. I didn't like what she was saying." He did not share what she said.

Kevin Franke is still very angry at her and says as much. Despite that, he says that he still loves her and is not ashamed to admit that. They were married for over 20 years. "But that doesn't excuse what she did, and it doesn't excuse how she hurt our children and how she hurt me," he told People. "There's some bridges that you just can't cross and then cross back."