Niece accuses Utah mommy blogger Ruby Franke's business partner Jodi Hildebrandt of being abuser who duct-taped and starved her

The non-binary niece of Utah mommy blogger Ruby Franke's business partner Jodi Hildebrandt made disturbing allegations of repeated child abuse and torture at the hands of their aunt.

Jessi Hildebrandt, who uses they/them pronouns, accused their aunt of being a sin-crazed abuser who duct-taped and starved them while police turned a blind eye to their pleas for help.

In an exclusive interview with Natasha Zouves on NewsNation’s Elizabeth Vargas Reports, Hildebrandt described the accusations against their aunt, who pled guilty to four counts of child abuse in a separate case on Wednesday.

When Jessi was 16 years old and left under their aunt's care, they allege being subjected to duct tape, starvation and forced to sleep outside in the snow.

During this time, they were also confined in locked rooms without shoes and told that Satan was working through them. 

The non-binary niece of Utah mommy blogger Ruby Franke's business partner Jodi Hildebrandt made disturbing allegations of repeated child abuse and torture at the hands of their aunt. Jessi Hildebrandt is pictured during their appearance on NewsNation 

Franke, pictured with her four daughters, is accused of being a serial abuser whose behavior behind closed doors was markedly different to the aspirational life she portrayed online  

Franke is pictured during a court appearance in Utah December 18

'There was being duct taped and starved, and being emotionally isolated and tortured. Being forced to sleep outside in the snow, telling my family that it was because she was afraid that I was going to murder her in her sleep, telling me that Satan was working through me and all the while I believed what she was telling me.'

Another distressing incident recounted by Jessi involved being tied up in a car, forced to lay down on the ground, and driven into the mountains, where they were made to run for hours. 

'She tied me up in a car and made me lay down on the ground and drove me into the mountains and made me run for hours and hours and hours,' they said on Elizabeth Vargas Reports.

Despite reporting these incidents to the police, Jessi claimed that no action was taken.

'I went to the cops and they did nothing. Because the cops in Utah, because this is not just a specific thing to her, Utah culture is permeated with Mormon culture. And this idea of covering up and believing authority, and Jodi had everyone wrapped around her finger.'

Prior to the day's proceedings, Franke, 41, had attempted to divert most of the blame to her business partner and self-professed life coach Hildebrandt - who had tears in her eyes in court Wednesday when a judge read the charges against her

Hildenbrant's agreement with prosecutors Wednesday was similar to her old partners, with both women having two charges against them dropped after pleading guilty to four 

Fifth District Judge John Walton read out the charges against Hildebrandt as part of her plea agreement Wednesday

A tearful Hildebrandt, meanwhile, sat silent by his side, and simply replied 'guilty' to each of the counts that the judge read, in a hearing that lasted less than five minutes. She is seen being led back to her incarceration in St. George immediately after

Franke(left)  ran the now-defunct 8 Passengers channel along with her business partner Hildebrandt (right) prior to their August arrest

Jessi said that there was not only physical abuse, but also emotional and 'severe spiritual abuse' as well. 

'Because of the culture that already exists within the Mormon church, she took advantage and there was being duct taped and starved, and being emotionally isolated and tortured,' they continued. 

'Being forced to sleep outside in the snow, being, telling my family that it was because she was afraid that I was going to murder her in her sleep, telling me that Satan was working through me and all the while I believed what she was telling me.' 

Jessi recounted the physical trauma inflicted by their aunt, detailing weight loss, stomach problems and 'immense sleep paralysis from stress.' 

'I mean, that's like, that's just like a couple of the physical things. She was forcing me to run, like, for hours and hours and hours, because her philosophy that she stood by was this idea, this obsession with confession, that if I would just confess to my sins, that I would be getting better.' 

'And because I was getting worse, emotionally, that it was obviously that I wasn't confessing to everything. And her idea was that she was going to make it so uncomfortable that it would force the sin out, which is just torture. That's all it is.' 

On Wednesday, Jodi Hildebrandt pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse.

Prior to the day's proceedings, Franke, 41, had attempted to divert most of the blame to her business partner and self-professed life coach Hildebrandt - who had tears in her eyes in court Wednesday when a judge read the charges against her.

In August, both were arrested and hit with six counts of child abuse after Franke's 12-year-old son Russell crawled out of a window of Hildebrandt's home, malnourished and with tape on his ankles.

Both their arrests quickly ensued, and earlier this month, Franke pleaded guilty to four second-degree counts of aggravated child abuse and agreed to testify against Hildebrandt - under the condition two of the abuse charges would be tossed.

Hildenbrant's agreement with prosecutors Wednesday was similar, with both having two charges against them dropped after pleading guilty to four. All were second-degree felonies, which prosecutors said were made in search of online success.

Both agreed to serve a prison sentence as part of their respective deals, which will be determined in February.

'There are a few details in the factual basis that we are not in full agreement with,' said Hildebrandt's lawyer Douglas Terry during the hearing, upon handing Fifth District Judge John Walton the plea agreement.

Franke became an internet sensation thanks to her YouTube channel 8 Passengers in which her millions of viewers watched how she and then husband, Kevin Franke, raised, and disciplined, their six children. Hildenbrant helped

He took issue with an unspecified portion of the plea agreement that included information meant to help the court make a decision, but quickly conceded Hildebrandt had agreed to plead guilty nonetheless.

The couple's Springville, Utah home was the site of years of child abuse, prosecutors have proven. The full extent of abuse has yet to be specified

The family blew up on social media after beginning to post videos in 2015, though Franke's tough parenting style often drew criticism

He also noted that the factual basis 'sets forth facts that we agree with, that [Hildebrandt] agrees with, that are sufficient for the court to accept her plea with respect to the four counts with which she is pleading guilty.'

A tearful Hildebrandt, meanwhile, sat silent by his side, and simply replied 'guilty' to each of the counts that the judge read.

'Miss Hilderbrand - how do you plead to count one aggravated child abuse, a second degree felony,' began Walton, four months after a neighbor discovered Russell severely emaciated and bound with duct tape.

'Guilty,' she replied.

'And to count three,' the jurist continued. 'Aggravated child abuse - a second degree felony.'

The licensed life counselor who helped Franke run the now-defunct 8 Passengers channel again would again offer a quick: 'Guilty.'

Walton went on: 'To count five - aggravated child abuse, a second degree felony... and to count six, also aggravated child abuse, a second degree felony' - with each earning another guilty from the admitted abuser.