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child abuse case

Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt: Sentences, Pleas and Case Timeline

Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt each pleaded guilty to four counts and were sentenced to four consecutive one-to-15-year terms. Utah’s parole board determines time served.

By DocumentaryTube Team 3 min read
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Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt were each sentenced on February 20, 2024, to four consecutive prison terms of one to fifteen years—an aggregate sentence of four to thirty years. The sentence is not a fixed 30-year release date: under Utah’s indeterminate sentencing system, the Board of Pardons and Parole determines how long each serves.

What sentence did Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt receive?

Judge John J. Walton sentenced each woman to four consecutive terms of one to fifteen years in Utah State Prison. Washington County Attorney’s Office describes the aggregate sentence for each as four to thirty years. The office’s case summary says the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole determines the time served under the state’s indeterminate sentencing system.

That means “up to 30 years” describes the aggregate maximum, not a confirmed release date. The official materials cited here do not establish a current parole hearing or release date for either woman.

How the case reached sentencing

Date What happened
August 30, 2023 According to the county prosecutor’s case summary, Franke’s 12-year-old son escaped from a window at Hildebrandt’s home in Ivins, Utah, and sought help from a neighbor. The summary says the neighbor saw duct tape on his wrists and ankles, severe wounds and signs of malnourishment. Officers then found Franke’s 9-year-old daughter in the house.
September 1, 2023 The Washington County Attorney’s Office announced six counts of aggravated child abuse against each woman. These were charges, not convictions. The charging release described allegations involving physical injury or torture, starvation or malnutrition that jeopardized life, and severe emotional harm (charging release).
December 18, 2023 Franke pleaded guilty to four counts, according to the county’s case summary.
December 27, 2023 Hildebrandt pleaded guilty to four counts. The county said her plea agreement provided for consecutive terms and that sentencing was scheduled for February 20, 2024 (plea release).
February 20, 2024 Walton sentenced both women to four to thirty years, with time served subject to the parole board’s authority, the county’s case summary says.

Six charges became four guilty pleas each

The distinction between the original charges and the eventual pleas matters: prosecutors initially filed six counts against each woman, while each pleaded guilty to four. The September 2023 charging release characterized the offenses as second-degree felonies and said each count carried a potential prison term of one to fifteen years and a fine of up to $10,000. Those were potential penalties stated at filing; the cited materials do not say that a fine was imposed.

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What the county’s case summary says happened

The Washington County Attorney’s Office describes the children’s treatment in its published investigation account. It says they were subjected to a work-camp-like setting that involved denial of food, water, beds and entertainment; isolation; strenuous physical tasks; exposure to summer heat; and physical and emotional abuse. The county says the children came to believe they deserved the abuse, and attributes the conduct to religious extremism and beliefs about repentance and evil spirits. These descriptions are the prosecutor’s account, not an independent finding presented here beyond the guilty pleas and sentences.

What the prosecutor said when Hildebrandt pleaded guilty

Upon Hildebrandt’s December 27, 2023, plea, Washington County Attorney Eric Clarke said: “We are pleased that the cases against Ms. Hildebrandt and Ms. Franke have both been resolved with the defendants agreeing to serve time in prison, and there will not be a trial requiring witnesses to testify.” His statement came before the February 2024 sentencing (county release).

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A related documentary

Netflix’s 2025 documentary Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story covers Hildebrandt’s rise, discovery of the abuse and the rescue of two of Franke’s children, according to Netflix Tudum. Availability may vary by region.

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