Ruby Franke, one-half of a popular family-focused YouTube channel, is set to accept a plea agreement after she was charged with six felony counts of child abuse, according to a statement circulated by her lawyers.
Jodi Hildebrandt, Franke’s business partner, allegedly used rope to tie down Franke’s 12-year-old son, leaving him with wounds that were then smeared with “cayenne pepper and honey,” he told police.
In August, the child managed to escape and seek help from a neighbor, prompting Franke and Hildebrandt’s arrests. The 12-year-old “appeared to be emaciated and malnourished, with open wounds and duct tape around the extremities,” the Santa Clara-Ivins police said in a news release.
Franke now appears ready to face the music—but not before throwing her ex-partner under the bus.
Franke “found herself on this challenging path under the influence of Ms. Hildebrant,” according to the statement circulated by her lawyers.
“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, shaped by Ms. Hildebrandt’s influence,” the statement read.
Kevin Franke said in an interview last month that the pair had been separated for over a year and he has since filed for divorce, leaving her “devastated,” the statement read.
Franke’s months of imprisonment allowed her to be “actively engaged in an introspection that has allowed her to reset her moral compass and understand the full weight of her actions,” the statement read.
Franke is set to accept the plea during a court appearance on Monday.
“Ms. Franke is committed to taking responsibility for the part she played in the events leading up to her incarceration,” the statement added. “Through heartfelt apologies, she seeks to mend relationships and contribute positively to the healing journey of her family.”
