WATERTOWN - A woman faces a year in jail after admitting she took part in daily beatings inflicted on a housemate.

Crystal Johnson, 38, pleaded guilty in Jefferson County Court Wednesday to second-degree assault and second-degree perjury, admitting to assaulting Lenisha Artis and then lying to police about her participation. She will be sentenced Feb. 29.

Prosecutors said Artis, 22, was beaten with a frying pan, belt buckle, hammer and other objects as punishment for not doing her housework properly. She was also tied to a chair with her mouth taped shut and had boiling water poured over her, leaving extreme scarring, prosecutors said. Artis told police she was not allowed to seek medical help.

The beatings took place from April 2007 until June 2007, when Artis finally fled the house and flagged down a passing motorist.

Artis moved to Fort Drum from Virginia with Mickel Johnson in December 2006, according to authorities. The couple moved in with Mickel Johnson's mother, Trinia Strait, while Strait's husband, Robert Strait, was deployed in Iraq with the U.S. Army.

Mickel Johnson, 24, pleaded guilty in December to third-degree assault and is due to be sentenced Feb. 22. He and Crystal Johnson are not related, authorities said.

Trinia Strait, 40, was indicted on 15 counts of assault in the case.

Strait has denied the allegations, claiming Artis was “crazy” and had a history of harming herself. An evidence suppression hearing was held in her case on Wednesday. Judge Kim Martusewicz reserved decision on which statements gathered by police during their investigation can be used at trial against Strait.