Utah therapist pleads guilty to abusing children alongside disgraced YouTube mom Ruby Franke

The mental health counselor from Utah who worked with parenting blogger Ruby Franke pleaded guilty this week to four separate counts of aggravated child abuse. The woman admitted to physically and emotionally abusing Franke's children.

Jodi Hildebrandt was apparently a business partner with Franke — a parenting advice blogger who had six children and previously had a popular YouTube channel called "8 Passengers," where she documented the day-to-day experience of taking care of her children, according to the Associated Press.

Hildebrandt and Franke worked together at the former's counseling company called ConneXions Classroom. The company offered various parenting classes, published content on its shared Instagram account, "Moms of Truth," and even started a new YouTube channel.

Through recent revelations, it was discovered that these two women had apparently provided parenting advice and promoted lifestyles that did not accurately reflect the kind of life they were leading.

The two women's facade began crumbling after Franke's 12-year-old son escaped from Hildebrandt's house on August 30 and asked a neighbor to call the police. The boy was discovered to be very thin, with duct tape wrapped around his ankles and wrists, according to a previous report from Blaze News.

The boy told the authorities that Hildebrandt had put ropes around his limbs and used cayenne pepper and honey to rub over his wounds, according to a search warrant.

Douglas Terry, Hildebrandt's attorney, said she pleaded guilty on Wednesday instead of a later date so as to prevent Franke's children from testifying about the abuse.

Terry said Hildebrandt "takes responsibility, and it is her main concern at this point that these children can heal, both physically and emotionally."

Hildebrandt previously faced six charges of felony child abuse, and she pleaded guilty to four of them. Franke has also been charged with six counts of felony child abuse, and she pleaded guilty to four of the counts, per the report.

Each count the women face carries with it a prison sentence of one to 15 years in prison.

The two women are believed to face sentencing on February 20, according to Judge John J. Watson. Franke and Hildebrandt have both agreed to serve prison terms, and the specific nature of their sentences have yet to be determined by the judge.

Leading up to the discovery of the abuse, Franke had been criticized by viewers of her YouTube channel for questionable behaviors toward her children.

Franke's husband, Kevin, has filed for divorce. He has not been charged in the case.

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