Inset: Heather Pippen (Montgomery County Jail). Background: The area in Ohio where Pippen abused her children (Google Maps).
A 35-year-old mother in Ohio will likely go to prison for severely abusing her children after a video depicting one of them being subjected to corporal punishment was posted online and went viral, sparking an investigation revealing treatment prosecutors said was "nothing short of sadistic."
Heather Michelle Pippen pleaded guilty Wednesday in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court to two counts of endangering children, one count of strangulation and one count of obstructing official business, court records show.
Pippen's boyfriend, Stephanas Golden, also appeared in court Wednesday, pleading not guilty by reason of insanity to seven counts of endangering children and two counts of strangulation.
According to a previous press release from the Montgomery County Prosecutor's Office, the investigation into Pippen began April 18, when officers with the Dayton Police Department responded to the couple's home in the 100 block of Wroe Avenue for a welfare check. The request came from the father of a 15-year-old girl living in the house; his daughter had sent him a video of a younger child being abused.
Upon arriving, officers spoke to the 15-year-old, but said she did not disclose any abuse. However, the next day, police learned about a video that appeared "on social media depicting the physical abuse of a preteen girl in the home."
The video allegedly showed Golden sitting atop a 10-year-old girl while he repeatedly whipped her with a belt, according to a report from the Dayton Daily News. Pippen's voice reportedly can be heard in the background of the video, which was taken by Pippen's 15-year-old daughter.
Police returned to the home and found seven children, ranging in age from 7 to 15. All seven showed "signs of abuse," including injuries that appeared recent and others that were older and healing, the prosecutor's office said.
The 15-year-old reportedly told investigators that the couple had been abusing her and her siblings for "a long time," and provided multiple photos and videos documenting the violence.
"The abuse inflicted on these innocent children was truly horrifying and is nothing short of sadistic," Montgomery County Prosecutor Mat Heck Jr. said after Pippen and Golden were indicted. "All of the children were forensically interviewed and disclosed incidents when they were physically abused or witnessed one or more of the other children in the home being abused. Thankfully, the children are in foster care and are safe from these defendants."
Authorities also removed 14 dogs and 18 chickens from the property.
Pippen is scheduled to appear in court for her sentencing hearing on Sept. 25, records show.
It was not immediately clear when Golden was scheduled to make his next court appearance.