On Wednesday, the business partner of “8 Passengers” YouTuber Ruby Franke pleaded guilty in Utah to aggravated child abuse.
KSL reported that Jodi Hildebrandt, 54, confessed to abusing Franke’s 9- and 11-year-old children between May 22 and August 30 and allowing Franke to do so as well. Hildebrandt’s attorney said his client decided to enter a guilty plea before Franke pleaded guilty.
Earlier this month, Franke accepted a plea deal that required her to plead guilty to child abuse and testify against Hildebrandt. In addition to forcing her son’s head underwater, Franke admitted to hogtying him with handcuffs that were tied together as he lay on his stomach. The cuffs Franke used on her son damaged his muscles and tissue when they cut through his ankles and wrists.
READ: ‘8 Passengers’ Vlogger Ruby Franke Pleads Guilty to Child Abuse
Like Franke, Hildebrandt said they tried to convince Franke’s son that he was evil and that the abuse was an “act of love.”
“After (Franke’s son) attempted to run away in July, his hands and feet were regularly bound. Binding included being tied to an adult and to weights,” the statement detailed, according to KSL.
Franke also withheld food and water from her daughter, in addition to injuring her at least twice by forcing her to complete physical tasks. One of those instances involved having the girl work outside barefoot during the summer. Meanwhile, Hildebrandt said she forced the girl to jump into a cactus.
On August 30, Franke’s 12-year-old son reportedly went to a neighbor’s home to ask for food and water. That neighbor called police, leading cops to Hildebrandt’s home where they located a 10-year-old child who was reportedly also malnourished.
Franke’s two children were staying with Hildebrandt at the time. Hildebrandt directly cared for the children, but police suspect Franke was aware of the abuse as she filmed a YouTube video in Hildebrandt’s basement two days before the August 30 incident.
Franke and Hildebrandt’s sentencing hearings are scheduled for February 20.
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[Featured image: Jodi Hildebrandt, Ruby Franke/Instagram]
