BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) – The former owner of a house that was declared uninhabitable by city officials could go to jail for 90 days when she is sentenced next month on charges of cruelty to her children.

Ellen Norton, 46, pleaded guilty Friday to misdemeanor charges of reckless abuse of a vulnerable adult and cruelty by a person having custody of another.

The charges followed the discovery by firefighters and police officers last June that the house at 354 N. Winooski Ave., where Norton lived with her severely handicapped son Andrew, 21, and a younger son, 10, was “uninhabitable,” in the words of court papers, “littered with garbage, rotting food and human and animal feces.”

A third misdemeanor charge of cruelty by a person having custody of another was dismissed.

Before Friday’s hearing, Norton said she has found a new job and is trying to move past the disgrace she felt when the condition of her house became public.

“It’s hard to go from being a golden girl to …” She searched for the word she wanted, then gave up, sighing.

Norton faces up to 90 days in jail and up to two years of suspended jail time.

A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Feb. 23.

Norton worked as a restorative justice assistant at the city’s Community Justice Center, but the city eliminated her position after she was charged, citing budget constraints.

She also lost the house to Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity, the mortgage holder, and her children remain in state custody.

AP-ES-01-11-04 1301EST