Ruby Franke has pleaded guilty to four counts of child abuse (Picture: AP)

YouTube star Ruby Franke has pleaded guilty to child abuse.

The internet personality appeared in court on Monday (December 18) on four felony counts of second-degree aggravated child abuse.

Mother-of-six Franke, from Utah, pleaded guilty after starving two of her children.

Franke, 41, was first arrested in August, along with her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt, after Franke’s emaciated 12-year-old child knocked on a neighbour’s door to ask for food and water.

The youngster was showing signs that he had been restrained and had open wounds after escaping.

Her son then told officers that Hildebrandt put ropes on his ankles and wrists before he got out of the house.

The boy had to be taken to hospital ‘due to his deep lacerations from being tied up with rope and from his malnourishment’, officials said at the time.

Another one of her children was then found in a similar malnourished condition at the home in Ivins.

Ultimately, four of Franke’s children were placed in state custody.

During her court appearance in Washington County, wearing grey and white prison attire, Franke pleaded guilty to the first three charges individually.

On the fourth, she said: ‘With my deepest regret and sorrow for my family and my children, guilty.’

Judge John J. Walton accepted a plea agreement.

Franke’s sentencing is scheduled for February 20.

Franke will testify against her former business partner and collaborator, Hildebrandt, 54, who is also charged with child abuse.

Hildebrandt – a former counsellor and life coach – shared videos on her website, ConneXions Classroom, in which Franke appeared.

A lawyer for Franke previously placed blame on Hildebrandt for allegedly leading Franke ‘astray’.

Winward Law said in a statement: ‘Over an extended period, Ms Hildebrandt systematically isolated Ruby Franke from her extended family, older children, and her husband, Kevin Franke.

‘This prolonged isolation resulted in Ms Franke being subjected to a distorted sense of morality.’

The disgraced influencer rose to prominence with her controversial YouTube channel, 8 Passengers, in 2015.

She had acquired almost 2.3million subscribers and focused on sharing her views on parenting discipline and the upbringing of her six children.

The channel was deactivated earlier this year.