Tue Dec 30 09:10:00 UTC 2025: ## Former Counselor Jodi Hildebrandt Serving Prison Sentence for Child Abuse, Featured in Upcoming Netflix Documentary
SALT LAKE CITY, UT – Jodi Hildebrandt, a Utah-based counselor and founder of the ConneXions program, is currently serving a prison sentence at the Utah State Correctional Facility after pleading guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse. Her case gained notoriety in 2023 when she was arrested alongside Ruby Franke, a popular YouTuber known for her “8 Passengers” channel.
Franke and Hildebrandt’s arrest followed a disturbing incident in August 2023, when Franke’s 12-year-old son escaped from Hildebrandt’s home. A neighbor, alarmed by the boy’s emaciated condition and visible signs of abuse, contacted authorities. Police subsequently discovered Franke’s 10-year-old daughter in a similar state of neglect at Hildebrandt’s residence.
The investigation revealed that Franke and her younger children had been living with Hildebrandt since May 2023, following the counselor’s advice related to the YouTuber’s separation from her husband. Evidence, including Franke’s journals, detailed the severe abuse inflicted upon her two youngest children, including forced physical labor in extreme heat.
Both Franke and Hildebrandt were initially charged with six counts of felony aggravated child abuse, accused of causing serious physical and emotional harm to the victims through a combination of physical injuries, torture, starvation, and malnutrition.
In December 2023, both women pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse each. Franke initially agreed to testify against Hildebrandt, but her testimony became unnecessary after Hildebrandt entered her own guilty plea.
The women were sentenced in February 2024 to four consecutive prison terms of one to 15 years each. However, Utah law limits consecutive sentences to a maximum of 30 years. Hildebrandt is scheduled to appear before the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole for the first time in December 2026. Prosecutors hope Hildebrandt will serve a substantial sentence and express concern about her continued insistence that she is the victim.
The case, which exposed the shocking abuse behind the facade of Franke’s seemingly perfect online family, has prompted widespread discussion about the potential dangers of online influence and the importance of protecting children.
The story of Jodi Hildebrandt and her role in the abuse will be further explored in the upcoming Netflix documentary, “Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story,” premiering December 30th.
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