Disgraced YouTube sensation Ruby Franke wept as she was sentenced to prison Tuesday — two months after copping to charges she abused the very children that helped make her famous online.
Franke, who ran the popular “8 Passengers” YouTube channel, was slapped with four consecutive sentences of 1 to 15 years in prison on four counts of child abuse.
“For the past four years, I’ve chosen to follow counsel and guidance that has led me into a dark delusion. My distorted version of reality went largely unchecked as I would isolate from anyone who challenged me,” Franke said tearfully in court, according to ABC News.
In December, the twisted social media star admitted to calling her children “evil and possessed” as she tortured them for years.
Franke, 42, could land in prison for as much as 60 years, though a Utah parole board will ultimately decide how long she serves.
Franke, who rose to internet fame with her YouTube channel “8 Passengers” which documented the lives of her husband and six kids in Utah, was arrested in August after her 12-year-old son turned up at a neighbor’s door, emaciated and covered in wounds with duct tape around his wrists and ankles.
Franke, who racked up over 2.5 million followers, later admitted to forcing her son to work outdoors all day in the hot desert sun and depriving him of food and water as punishment. To prevent him from escaping, she bound his arms and legs.
She also admitted to abusing her 9-year-old daughter.