Disgraced YouTube sensation Ruby Franke wept as she was sentenced to prison Tuesday — two months after copping to charges that she abused the very children who helped make her famous online.
Franke, who ran the popular “8 Passengers” YouTube channel, could serve up to 60 years in prison after she was slapped with four consecutive sentences of 1 to 15 years on four counts of child abuse.
“For the past four years, I’ve chosen to follow counsel and guidance that has led me into a dark delusion. My distorted version of reality went largely unchecked as I would isolate from anyone who challenged me,” Franke said tearfully in court, according to ABC News.
In December, the twisted social media star admitted to calling her children “evil and possessed” as she tortured them for years.
Law & Crime / YouTube
Franke, 42, could land in prison for decades, though a Utah parole board will ultimately decide how long she serves.
Her business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt, 54, received the same sentence for her part in the abuse. The judge said Hildebrandt, who was arrested alongside Franke in August, had “terrorized” the children.
Franke, who rose to internet fame with her YouTube channel “8 Passengers,” which documented the lives of her husband and six kids in Utah, was arrested in August after her 12-year-old son turned up at a neighbor’s door, emaciated and covered in wounds, with duct tape around his wrists and ankles.
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The mother, who racked up over 2.5 million followers, later admitted to forcing her son to work outdoors all day in the hot desert sun and depriving him of food and water as punishment. To prevent him from escaping, she bound his arms and legs.