YouTuber Ruby Franke is expected to enter a plea agreement on Monday, her lawyer said, after being charged with six counts of child abuse in September.
Franke, 41, is due in court in Utah's Washington County at 11 a.m. local time. The statement from Winward Law, the law firm representing Franke, did not elaborate on the details of the agreement.
"Our client is working with the prosecutor's office and anticipates resolving this matter quickly by entering a plea agreement with the court on Monday, December 18th," the firm said.
Franke, an influential YouTuber known for giving parenting advice, was arrested in Utah in late August after her malnourished son ran to a neighbor's house asking for food and water, authorities said. Franke's business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt, 54, was also arrested and charged with child abuse. Both women were arrested at Hildebrandt's house in Ivins, Utah, and are being held without bond.
Winward Law alleges Franke was "led astray" by Hildebrandt.
According to a statement from the law firm, Ms. Hildebrant allegedly isolated Ruby Franke from her extended family, older children, and her husband, Kevin Franke, resulting in a distorted sense of morality influenced by Ms. Hildebrandt. Douglas Terry, Jodi Hildebrandt's attorney, declined to comment on Winward Law's assertions.
Prosecutors claim that Franke and Hildebrandt either caused or allowed someone to torture Franke's 12-year-old son and injure her 10-year-old daughter. The children were allegedly starved and emotionally harmed. An affidavit filed by an officer with the Santa Clara-Ivins Public Safety Department states that Franke's 12-year-old son escaped from Hildebrandt's residence and sought help from a neighbor. The boy had duct tape on his ankles and wrists and was taken to the hospital for treatment of deep lacerations and malnourishment. The boy stated that "Jodi" tied him up with ropes and used cayenne pepper and honey to treat his wounds, according to a search warrant.
The neighbor saw duct tape on the boy's ankles and wrists and called the police, the affidavit said. The boy was taken to a hospital, where he was put on a medical hold "due to his deep lacerations from being tied up with rope and from his malnourishment," arrest records state.
The boy told officers that "Jodi" put the ropes on his ankles and wrists and that they used cayenne pepper and honey to dress the wounds caused by the ropes, according to a search warrant filed that day.
According to Mount Sinai, cayenne pepper, which has been used for medicinal purposes, should not be applied to cracked skin or open wounds.
Officers discovered Franke's malnourished daughter in Hildebrandt's house, and she was subsequently taken to the hospital. Child protective services took custody of Franke's two other children as well.
Following the arrest of Franke and Hildebrandt, their YouTube channel "8 Passengers," which had over 2 million subscribers, was taken down.
Hildebrandt is the owner of ConneXions, a counseling business, while Franke provides social media and podcast content for the company. YouTube videos featuring the couple were removed after their charges.
The Franke family faced criticism for their parenting choices, such as prohibiting their eldest son from entering his bedroom for seven months as a punishment. Ruby Franke also shared a video where she refused to bring lunch to a kindergartener who forgot it at home. Additionally, she threatened to decapitate a young girl's stuffed toy as a consequence for cutting things in the house.
Kevin Franke has filed for divorce in response to these events. Winward Law released a statement acknowledging Ruby Franke's devastation and understanding of his anger and reasoning.
Despite the pain, she respects his decisions and remains hopeful that, with time, she can contribute to rebuilding trust and fostering understanding within their family," the firm said. "Ruby has offered her full cooperation to help the children reunite with their father."
The Franke's oldest daughter, Sherri Franke, cut ties with her parents, she has said in social media posts.
Records show officers stopped by the house four more times from Sept. 22 through Oct. 3.
