KUTV 2 News Salt Lake City/YouTube
- Ruby Franke and her business partner Jodi Hildebrandt have both pleaded guilty to child abuse.
- They struck plea deals after court filings alleged they tortured two of Franke's kids.
- They are due to be sentenced on February 20, 2024.
Ruby Franke and her business partner have now both pleaded guilty to child abuse, following horrific allegations from prosecutors about how Franke's kids were treated.
It means neither woman will go on trial, and brings some closure since the allegations burst into the open in September with their arrest.
Jodi Hildebrandt appeared in court on December 27, nine days after Franke, and pleaded guilty to four counts of child abuse as part of a plea deal. Franke also admitted four counts as part of her deal.
The pair were arrested in August and charged with six felonies.
Police were alerted when Franke's 12-year-old son climbed through a window of Hildebrandt's home in Ivins, Utah, to get help for himself and his 10-year-old sister.
A neighbor noticed that the child had duct tape on his ankles and wrists and decided to call the police. The children were then taken to the hospital where they were treated for severe wounds and malnourishment.
The arrest followed years of controversy and allegations of child abuse surrounding Franke and her family vlogging channel 8 Passengers, which had around 2.5 million subscribers at its peak.
Concern about the kids grew when Franke partnered with Hildebrandt to form the controversial parenting channel ConneXions.
Hildebrandt's plea agreement required she not contest a prison sentence, The Salt Lake Tribune reported.
It also describes details of the abuse, including that she "physically forced or coerced" Franke's daughter to repeatedly jump into a cactus.
The agreement also spoke of "physical torture" and "severe emotional harm" inflicted to Franke's children, alleging they were denied food and water, forced into physical labor, and that Hildebrandt "inflicted and allowed another adult to inflict" physical injuries on them.
On December 18, Franke appeared in court, where she also pleaded guilty to four counts of child abuse. The Salt Lake Tribune reported the details of the deal afterwards.
It said Franke forced her son's head underwater, smothered him with her hands, and kicked him while wearing boots.
Franke's lawyer, LaMar Winward, said in a statement afterwards that Franke was "manipulated" by Hildebrandt.
He said Hildebrandt "systematically isolated" Franke "from her extended family, older children, and her husband, Kevin Franke."
That gave her a "distorted sense of morality," he said.
Hildebrandt has faced allegations of misconduct dating back years, including leaking confidential information about a client to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
That disclosure led to an 18-month probation on her therapy license. She has also been accused of abuse by her niece.
Hildebrandt's attorney, Douglas Terry, gave a short statement after her court appearance, saying his client took "responsibility" for her actions, and that she had decided to plead guilty before Franke did.
He said the plea was spurred by concern for the children, to spare them going through a trial.
"She has plead guilty because she does not want these children to have to testify, she takes responsibility, and it is her main concern at this point that they can heal — both physically and emotionally."
He said there were "a few details" in the deal that they were "not in full agreement with," but did not elaborate.
Both Franke and Hildebrandt are due to be sentenced on February 20, 2024.