Popular mom YouTuber Ruby Franke has pleaded guilty to child abuse charges on Monday. Franke, through her lawyer LaMar Winward, said over the weekend that she would plead guilty to multiple counts of aggravated child abuse in Washington County 5th District Court in Utah.
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On August 30, Franke and her business partner, Jodi Hildebrant, were arrested after Franke's 12-year-old son escaped through a window of Hildebrant's home and alerted a neighbor that he was being abused. Hildebrant also faces six counts of aggravated child abuse. She has yet to enter a plea to the charges.
In a statement, the Santa Clara-Ivins police in Utah said that the child "appeared to be emaciated and malnourished, with open wounds and duct tape around the extremities." When the police searched Hildebrant's home, they also found Franke's 10-year-old daughter in the same condition. As a result, Franke's four minor children were placed in state care.
Winward made a statement where he described Franke as a devoted mother who was committed to constant improvement. He went on to say that she was a victim of "manipulation."
"Initially, Ms. Franke believed that Jodi Hildebrant had the insight to offer a path to continual improvement. Ms. Hildebrant took advantage of this quest and twisted it into something heinous. Over an extended period, Ms. Hildebrant systematically isolated Ruby Franke from her extended family, older children, and her husband, Kevin Franke. This prolonged isolation resulted in Ms. Franke being subjected to a distorted sense of morality."
According to Franke's lawyers, she has "actively engaged in an introspection that has allowed her to reset her moral compass and understand the full weight of her actions" since her arrest and incarceration.
Additionally, she is "committed to taking responsibility for the part she played" in the events that led to her being arrested, and she is touch with family members "to mend relationships and contribute positively to the healing journey of her family."
