"At first glance, "8 Passengers," which launched in 2015, appeared to be a wholesome, family-focused vlog documenting the busy life of Franke, her husband Kevin, and their six kids. As the years went on, however, some followers voiced concerns about the parenting techniques on display in Franke's "8 Passengers" videos, such as when she revealed she punished her kids by withholding food, forced them to do push-ups, or made them miss school to clean the house."
"The former mom influencer, 43, who ran the once-popular "8 Passengers" YouTube channel, was sentenced in February 2024 to between four and 30 years in prison after she was charged with abusing two of her six children. Franke's associate, mental health counselor Jodi Hildebrandt, 56, was also sentenced to between four and 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to four counts of child abuse."
Ruby Franke pleaded guilty to four felony counts of aggravated child abuse and was sentenced in February 2024 to between four and 30 years in prison for abuse of two of her six children. Jodi Hildebrandt, who worked with Franke, also pleaded guilty and received the same sentencing range. Prosecutors accused the women of causing serious physical injury through multiple injuries or torture, life-jeopardizing starvation or malnutrition, and severe emotional harm. Franke's "8 Passengers" channel presented as a wholesome family vlog but showed punishments such as withholding food, forced push-ups, and making children miss school to clean. A Netflix documentary and a Hulu docuseries revisited the case; Franke's husband filed for divorce in 2023.
Read at TODAY.com
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