Jodi Hildebrandt, the disgraced Mormon therapist sentenced to four to 30 years in prison for child abuse, was once a trusted counselor who claimed to help couples heal. However, a chilling new documentary reveals how she manipulated her clients, particularly women, into turning against their husbands—often leaving them with destroyed marriages and shattered reputations.

Before forming an alliance with fellow convicted child abuser and YouTube parenting influencer Ruby Franke, Hildebrandt ran LifeStar Utah County, a franchise focused on treating sex and pornography addiction. Her methods, however, went far beyond therapy, as multiple former clients now claim she used fear and religious guilt to control families and break apart relationships.

In The Curious Case Of… Jodi Hildebrandt, released by Investigation Discovery, male clients describe how she systematically alienated their wives, making them see their husbands as abusers or sinners. Adam Steed, one of Hildebrandt’s former clients, had sought therapy alongside his wife to cope with childhood trauma. Instead of healing, he claims Hildebrandt influenced his wife to the point where she “lost the ability to know for herself if something was right.”

“She sought Jodi’s approval for everything,” Adam recalled. “It was like a drug for her.”

Then, Adam says, his wife orchestrated a horrifying trap. After months of Hildebrandt’s strict guidance, which prohibited physical affection between spouses, Adam’s wife suddenly encouraged him to bathe their baby. While he was in the tub with the child, she entered the room in lingerie, acting flirtatiously. At first, Adam thought his wife was reconnecting with him. But when she saw his physical response, her demeanor changed.

“She looked at my private parts disgusted and just walked off,” he said.

Shortly after the incident, Adam’s wife filed for divorce, sought a protective order against him, and took full custody of their children. She accused him of having inappropriate boundaries due to his own history of childhood sexual abuse.

“My biggest fear being a victim of sexual abuse was to be accused of being a sexual abuser,” he said.

Adam wasn’t the only husband who lost everything under Hildebrandt’s guidance. Daniel Choate, another former client, described how his wife weaponized the therapist’s teachings against him.

After admitting to occasionally looking at pornography, Daniel sought help from Hildebrandt alongside his wife. However, instead of helping them work through their differences, Hildebrandt convinced his wife that his actions were equivalent to infidelity. Soon, Daniel was sleeping outside the marital bed, forbidden from entering their shared bedroom except during specific time slots.

“If I didn’t abide by these rules, she let me know that she was going to take the kids and leave,” he said.

Eventually, his wife accused him of sexual misconduct and left him, cutting him off from his children. Through tears, Daniel denied the allegations.

“I would never hurt my daughter,” he said.

While Hildebrandt’s controversial therapy practices destroyed marriages, her crimes went even further. In August 2023, she was arrested and charged with six counts of aggravated child abuse. Authorities discovered two of Franke’s children at her residence in horrific conditions—starved, beaten, and restrained with duct tape. One of the children, a 12-year-old boy, managed to escape and seek help from a neighbor, leading to the arrests of both women.

Hildebrandt pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse and was sentenced to four consecutive terms of one to 15 years in prison. In February 2024, Franke received a sentence of four to 60 years. Their exact sentences will be determined by the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole.

Franke’s estranged husband, Kevin, had not seen their children for over a year and was not charged with any crime. Prosecutors revealed disturbing details during her trial, including doorbell camera footage showing the emaciated 12-year-old boy, shackled and covered in bruises, begging neighbors for help.

The Curious Case Of… Jodi Hildebrandt is part of Investigation Discovery’s The Curious Case Of series, which airs Mondays at 10/9c.

#JodiHildebrandt #RubyFranke #MormonScandal #TrueCrime #InvestigationDiscovery #MarriageManipulation #ChildAbuse

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