Current:Home > InvestSon of Utah woman who gave online parenting advice says therapist tied him up with ropes -AssetTrainer
Son of Utah woman who gave online parenting advice says therapist tied him up with ropes
View
Date:2025-04-19 23:45:32
The 12-year-old son of a Utah woman who once gave online parenting advice via a popular YouTube channel said his mom’s business partner, who is a licensed mental health counselor, used ropes to tie him up, according to search warrants in the child abuse case made public this week.
The emaciated boy, who escaped from Jodi Hildebrandt’s house on Aug. 30 and asked neighbors for help, told officers that “Jodi” put the ropes on his ankles and wrists and that they used cayenne pepper and honey to dress the wounds caused by the ropes, according to a search warrant filed that day.
Hildebrandt and the boy’s mother — Ruby Franke, who gave parenting advice via a YouTube channel “8 Passengers” — each face six felony counts of aggravated child abuse for injuries suffered by the boy and Franke’s 10-year-old daughter. They have not entered pleas and remain jailed without bond
Hildebrandt’s attorney, Douglas Terry, was out of the office Wednesday and not available to comment on the allegations contained in the search warrant. Franke’s attorney, LaMar Winward, is out of the country, his office said.
The boy, who showed up at a neighbor’s house in the southwestern Idaho community of Ivins with duct tape on his ankles and wrists and asking for food and water, told an officer that two other siblings were at Hildebrandt’s house, according to requests for search warrants. Officers learned that Franke had left the three children in Hildebrandt’s care, a warrant request states.
Responding officers located a 10-year-old girl at Hildebrandt’s house, but did not find the 14-year-old, according to the application for a warrant. The two youngest children were taken to the hospital. The four youngest of Franke’s six children were eventually placed in the custody of child protective services, court records said.
In their initial sweep of Hildebrandt’s house looking for the boy’s siblings to see if they needed medical care, officers also found a locked potential safe room in the basement. A warrant was requested to search the house for any items, including rope and duct tape, that might be used to abuse a child. It also asked to search the locked room, but the returned warrant does not say what, if anything, might have been located in the room, or if it was opened.
In the search, officers found three ropes, two handcuffs, two bowls containing a paste of cayenne pepper and honey, bandages, plastic wrap, a journal and some paperwork.
Two other warrants allowed officers to seize laptops, cellphones, any video or audio recordings that might show any child abuse and any communications between Hildebrandt and Franke.
After Hildebrandt’s arrest, she said the two youngest children “should never be allowed around any other kids,” an officer wrote in a search warrant.
Hildebrandt has agreed not to see patients until the allegations are addressed by state licensing officials, state licensing officials said on Tuesday.
veryGood! (7)
Related
- 2 killed, 3 injured in shooting at makeshift club in Houston
- Convicted sex offender escaped prison after his mom gave him disguise, Texas officials say
- Australia and New Zealand leaders seek closer defense ties
- Takeaways from lawsuits accusing meat giant JBS, others of contributing to Amazon deforestation
- Alex Murdaugh’s murder appeal cites biased clerk and prejudicial evidence
- Why Kelly Osbourne Says She Wants Plastic Surgery for Christmas
- 1 day after Texas governor signs controversial law, SB4, ACLU files legal challenge
- Members of a union representing German train drivers vote for open-ended strikes in bitter dispute
- Residents worried after ceiling cracks appear following reroofing works at Jalan Tenaga HDB blocks
- A voter’s challenge to having Trump’s name on North Carolina’s primary ballot has been dismissed
Ranking
- FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup
- Some of the biggest stars in MLB can't compete with the fame of their furry friends
- Proof Rihanna Already Has Baby No. 3 on the Brain Months After Welcoming Son Riot
- George Santos says he'll be back — and other takeaways from his Ziwe interview
- Civic engagement nonprofits say democracy needs support in between big elections. Do funders agree?
- Coal miners lead paleontologists to partial mammoth fossil in North Dakota
- Climate talks call for a transition away from fossil fuels. Is that enough?
- 5 kids home alone die in fire as father is out Christmas shopping, police say
Recommendation
Nevada attorney general revives 2020 fake electors case
Results in Iraqi provincial elections show low turnout and benefit established parties
Zac Efron and Lily James on the simple gesture that frames the tragedy of the Von Erich wrestlers
South Carolina couple is charged with murder in the 2015 killings of four of their family members
Gen. Mark Milley's security detail and security clearance revoked, Pentagon says
1 day after Texas governor signs controversial law, SB4, ACLU files legal challenge
Jackson’s water rates to increase early next year
Members of a union representing German train drivers vote for open-ended strikes in bitter dispute