ST. GEORGE, Utah (KUTV) — YouTuber Ruby Franke, creator of the now-defunct 8 Passengers, is scheduled to be in a southern Utah courtroom today - and is expected to enter a plea deal in an aggravated child abuse case involving her children and her business partner.
Franke has been charged with six counts of felony child abuse and has been in custody at the Purgatory Correctional Facility in Hurricane since Aug. 30, when she and fellow YouTuber Jodi Hildebrandt were arrested.
In a statement Friday, Franke's attorneys said she wants to resolve the matter quickly and planned to agree to the deal during Monday's waiver hearing.
The exact terms of the plea deal have not yet been released, though it appears the defense is poised to provide material for the state's case against Hildebrandt.
In Friday's statement, defense attorneys accused the ConneXions Classroom founder of taking advantage of Franke's family ambition and "(twisting) it into something heinous."
"Ruby Franke is a devoted mother and is also a woman committed to constant improvement," according to the statement from Winward Law. "Initially, Ms. Franke believed that Jodi Hildebrandt had the insight to offer a path to continual improvement."
Hildebrandt's ConneXions Classroom is an education program that promises to heal "destructive behaviors" through three core principles: "impeccable honesty," "rigorous personal responsibility" and "humility," according to the mental health organization's website.
It's a program that panned extensively in a website dedicated to Hildebrandt's behaviors as a licensed counselor, which includes reviews that allege her tactics perpetuate the destruction of personal relationships.
Winward Law stated that Hildebrandt "systematically isolated" Franke from her husband, her adult daughter, and her extended family.
"This prolonged isolation resulted in Ms. Franke being subjected to a distorted sense of morality, shaped by Ms. Hildebrandt’s influence," according to Franke's attorneys, who added that her time in the Washington County jail has given her the opportunity to "reset her moral compass."
"Ms. Franke is committed to taking responsibility for the part she played in the events leading up to her incarceration," according to Winward Law. "Demonstrating a sincere dedication to personal growth and rehabilitation, she has actively begun the process by reaching out to members of her family. Through heartfelt apologies, she seeks to mend relationships and contribute positively to the healing journey of her family."
State prosecutors have not yet confirmed if any of the six counts of second-degree felony child abuse charges would be dropped as part of the deal, and if so, how many.
It was unclear if any type of plea deal was on the table for Hildebrandt, who recently surrendered her license as a mental health counselor in the wake of her arrest.
Hildebrandt's attorneys had not commented on Franke's forthcoming plea deal as of 9 a.m. Monday.
The waiver hearing is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. The judge has ordered that the proceedings cannot be live streamed.
Both women have had their entire libraries of content removed from YouTube and multiple other social media platforms.
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