What will happen to Ruby Franke’s kids now?

Ruby Franke, the YouTuber who once shared parenting advice to millions, has been jailed for up to 30 years for physically and emotionally abusing her six children.

The 42-year-old former “momfluencer” shared a tearful apology to her kids from a court in Utah on Tuesday after a judge sentenced her to between one and 15 years for each of four counts of aggravated child abuse.

Franke claimed she had been “manipulated” by her mentor and business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt, alongside whom she was arrested in August last year.

Weeping as she accepted her punishment, she thanked local police officers, doctors and social workers for being the “angels” who saved her children from her.

Addressing her kids, who were not present at the sentencing hearing, she said: “I’ll never stop crying for hurting your tender souls.

“My willingness to sacrifice all for you was masterfully manipulated into something very ugly. I took from you all that was soft and safe and good.”

Hildebrandt (left) and Franke launched their own Instagram channel titled 'Moms of Truth'(moms_of_truth/Instagram)

During their reign of terror, Franke and Hildebrandt, 54, tried to convince the two youngest children – who are now aged 10 and 13 – that they were evil, possessed and needed to be punished to repent.

Meanwhile the older four, aged 15, 16, 19 and 20, were starved, kicked, beaten and forced to perform hard physical labour, according to prosecutors.

Franke and Hildebrant – a Utah mental health counsellor, who had been hired to work with Franke’s youngest son, Russell, before going into business with her – were arrested after Russell escaped through a window and asked a neighbour to call the police.

The boy was emaciated, covered in wounds and had duct tape around his ankles and wrists. He told investigators that Hildebrandt had put ropes on his limbs and used cayenne pepper and honey to dress his cuts.

So what will happen to these innocent young people who were, according to prosecutors, subjected to a “concentration camp-like setting” by their own mother?

Ruby and her then-husband Kevin built a massive YouTube following with their video blog '8 Passengers'(moms_of_truth/Instagram)

The older two

The eldest of the six Franke children, Shari (20) and Chad (19), are now legally adults, so won’t be subject to the same protections as their younger siblings.

Shari was estranged from her mother at the time of her arrest, but in an Instagram Story, she posted a photo of police outside the family home, writing: “Finally.”

She added: “Today has been a big day. Me and my family are so glad justice is being served. We’ve been trying to tell the police and CPS for years about this and [are] so glad they finally decided to step up.”

Shari also noted that the “kids are safe,” but stressed that there was a “long road ahead” for them all.

Back in October, she shared an update to the same social media site, saying: “There’s literally not even words to describe how upside down my life has become.

“I’ve cried, had an infinite number of panic attacks, had way too much ice-cream, and yet life goes on.

“Therapy has literally saved me, but God has too. My life is somehow becoming more beautiful and fulfilling, despite all the terrible things going on. I’ve tried to live my life to the fullest the last few weeks, even though all I want to do is hide away in my apartment.”

Just a day before her mum's sentencing, Shari shared a photo of herself with a new haircut, describing it as marking a 'fresh start'(sharilfranke/Instagram)

In a separate post, she revealed her plans to “pursue a doctorate degree in the political field”, and said she one day hoped to work in Washington DC one day.

Meanwhile, her brother Chad has also been active on Instagram, posting photos and videos of himself with friends and a young woman who appears to be his girlfriend.

According to sources, Chad had also moved out of the family home by the time his mum had been taken into custody, but his precise whereabouts have not been confirmed.

Nevertheless, he seems to be making the most of life at the moment. In January, he shared footage of himself on holiday with friends, adding the caption: “Great way to start off an exciting year. New relationships.”

Chad Franke appears to be enjoying adventures with friends(chadwfranke/Instagram)

The younger four

The youngest of the brood, Abby, Julie, Russell and Eve and now in the care of the Department of Child and Family Services.

Their father, Kevin Franke, had been separated from Ruby for more than a year at the time of her arrest, according to his lawyer Randy S. Kester.

But, in an interview with Page Six, Kester stressed that his client’s “urgent focus is simply to keep his children together under his fatherly care.”

In a separate statement to Today.com, the attorney said that Kevin – who he insisted played no part in the abuse – is currently working on mending his relationship with his children.

"(Kevin) is making an effort to rebuild and bridge these relationships rather than sling mud and point fingers," Kester told the news outlet.

"He is focused on doing what is best for his kids at this point, even if that means undergoing some introspection."

Meanwhile, Ruby’s sisters shared a statement claiming that “behind the public scene” they had done “everything we could to try and make sure the kids were safe.”

They then added: “The kids are now safe, which is the number one priority.”

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