Former YouTube stars Ruby Franke and her ex-husband, Kevin, were once known for their vlogging channel, 8 Passengers. On February 20, the mother of six was sentenced to up to 60 years in prison for “concentration camp-like” child abuses.
Kevin Franke and his estranged wife, Ruby Franke, first began documenting their lives as parents to six children through their YouTube channel 8 Passengers in January 2015. At its peak, the channel had hit 2.5 million followers – before being shut down. By 2020, concern had mounted over the Mormon family’s strict household, and numerous followers pleaded with child protection services to investigate.
Although Kevin was featured in many of the YouTube videos, he was not charged with any crimes when his wife was arrested on August 30, 2023. Kevin’s lawyer, Randy Kester, has described his client as a gentle person who had no involvement in the abuses against his children. He has stated that he wants his ex-wife to get the maximum prison sentence possible and is hoping to regain custody of his children.
Kevin reportedly worked as an assistant professor of civil engineering at Brigham Young University. However, since he has tended to keep away from the spotlight, his current professional career is unclear.
On the other hand, Ruby Franke ran the 8 Passengers channel until it was mysteriously taken down in 2022. Pressure to investigate Franke rose out of the documentation of her intense disciplinary methods. It later emerged that the couple separated in 2022, and Kevin moved out of the house. Following the separation, Ruby Franke, along with her partner, Jodi Hildebrandt, created a parent counseling service called ConneXions.
On August 30, 2023, Franke was suddenly arrested and on September 1 of the same year she was charged with six counts of aggravated child abuse. The arrests followed the escape of Franke’s 12-year-old son. Following the arrests, emergency services found Franke’s 10-year-old daughter similarly malnourished, and both children were taken to hospital.
Franke pleaded guilty to four counts of second-degree child abuse on Monday, December 18, 2023, and on February 20, she was sentenced to up to 60 years in prison.
