Jodi Nan Hildebrandt (born June 15, 1969) is an American convicted child abuser, former counselor, retired businesswoman, and YouTuber. On August 30, 2023, Hildebrandt and Ruby Franke were arrested in Washington County, Utah, and charged with six counts of aggravatedchild abuse of two of Franke's children. Hildebrandt ultimately pleaded guilty to four counts, and was sentenced to serve between four and thirty[a] years in prison on February 20, 2024.[3]
Hildebrandt was a Utah licensed counselor, starting in 2005.[10][11] In 2007, she founded the relationship and business counseling business Connexions (styled ConneXions) in Orem, Utah.[12] In 2012, she was the director of LifeStar Utah County, a franchisee of a national company based in Utah that specializes in the psychiatric and psychological treatment of pornography and sex addiction.[13]
In 2012, Hildebrandt's license was put on probation for 18 months after she "disclosed sensitive confidential information" of a former client to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Brigham Young University between 2008 and 2010, according to Utah Department of Commerce's Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing documents.[10][11]The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced that Hildebrandt was no longer on their Family Services' referral list due to the case.[13]
Hildebrandt was a business partner of family YouTubevloggerRuby Franke.[10] They launched a YouTube channel called ConneXions together in 2022,[14] and created a joint Instagram account called Moms of Truth,[14] offering parenting classes.[15]
On August 30, 2023, Hildebrandt was arrested in Washington County, Utah, and charged with six counts of aggravated child abuse. She surrendered her license as a counselor pending resolution of the court case and a disciplinary investigation.[16][17] After the arrest of Hildebrandt and Franke, YouTube banned both from the platform.[18] After pleading guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse,[19] she was sentenced in 2024 to four consecutive terms of one to 15 years, the maximum for each count under Utah law.[20] Prison sentences in Utah are indeterminate, with a minimum and maximum time frame. The offender must serve the whole sentence unless the Board of Pardons releases them sooner. However, under Utah law, consecutive sentences cannot run beyond 30 years unless the offender has a maximum term of life. [3][4]
As a result of Hildebrandt's criminal convictions, Utah Department of Commerce's Division of Professional Licensing revoked her clinical mental health counseling license on May 10, 2024.[21][22]
Her case was also featured in the true crime television series The Curious Case Of..., which explores high-profile criminal cases and controversial figures. The episode examines Hildebrandt’s career as a self-help counselor, the allegations of abuse, and the legal proceedings that followed.[27]
1 2 Each of the four counts Hildebrandt was convicted on carried a term of 1 to 15 years' imprisonment, which were ordered to be served consecutively. The minimum amount of time Hildebrandt must serve is therefore 4 years, and, absent any superseding legislation, the maximum amount of time would be 60 years; however, the Utah Code dictates that the time served by a defendant upon whom consecutive sentences (except those of life imprisonment or the death penalty) are imposed must not exceed 30 years.[3][4]
↑ "Findings of Fact"(PDF). State of Utah Department of Commerce, Division of Professional Licensing. May 10, 2024. p.3. Retrieved February 28, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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