Jodi Hildebrandt, the business partner of once-popular parental advice YouTuber Ruby Franke, has pleaded guilty to four charges of child abuse.
Hildebrandt, 54, was charged with assisting in the starvation and torture of Franke’s children after her son escaped from the family’s Utah home.
Hildebrandt’s counsel stated that she “takes responsibility” and wishes to keep the children from testifying.
Earlier this month, Franke pleaded guilty to serious child abuse charges.
The 8 Passengers YouTube channel, which was founded in 2015 by mother-of-six Franke, 41, and Hildebrandt, had over two million subscribers until being deactivated earlier this year.
Earlier this month, Franke pleaded guilty to serious child abuse charges.
The 8 Passengers YouTube channel, which was founded in 2015 by mother-of-six Franke, 41, and Hildebrandt, had over two million subscribers until being deactivated earlier this year.
The pair, who worked together at Hildebrandt’s consulting firm, used the platform to give parental advice and to present themselves as role models to other families. Hildebrandt featured Franke in films on her website, ConneXions Classroom.
Their triumph came crashing down in August when Franke’s 12-year-old kid crawled out of a window and raced to a neighbor’s house to beg for food and drink.
Their triumph came crashing down in August when Franke’s 12-year-old kid crawled out of a window and raced to a neighbor’s house to beg for food and drink.
The boy was later described as “emaciated and malnourished,” with open wounds and “deep lacerations from being tied up with rope” by the Santa-Clara Ivins Public Safety Department.
Police investigating the event discovered a second child, Franke’s daughter, who was malnourished and rushed her to the hospital. Franke’s four minor children were subsequently brought into state custody.
On August 30, the two women were apprehended at Hildebrandt’s residence. Franke pleaded guilty to four counts of severe child abuse on December 18.
Police investigating the event discovered a second child, Franke’s daughter, who was malnourished and rushed her to the hospital. Franke’s four minor children were subsequently brought into state custody.
On August 30, the two women were apprehended at Hildebrandt’s residence. Franke pleaded guilty to four counts of severe child abuse on December 18.
Franke’s attorneys attempted to blame her business partner for leading her “astray” in a statement at the time. They accused Hildebrandt of isolating her from friends and family and subjecting her to “a distorted sense of morality.”
Hildebrandt admitted to assaulting Franke’s children as part of her plea agreement, including forcing her daughter to repeatedly jump into a cactus and run for extended hours on dirt roads.
Franke’s son and daughter were both forced to perform strenuous physical labor in the scorching sun while receiving little, if any, food and drink.
Both ladies admitted in their plea deals to telling the two boys that they were “possessed” and needed to be punished for their apparent disobedience.
Both women are scheduled to be sentenced on February 20, 2024.
Each charge carries a maximum term of 15 years in jail, which the woman may eventually spend consecutively.
