YouTube Responds To Fantastic Adventures Channel Child Abuse Arrest

A woman and two of her sons were arrested this week after she allegedly subjected her seven adopted children to horrible forms of abuse to get them to perform on her YouTube channel.

On "Fantastic Adventures," the children, all under the age of 10, according to the NYPost, played out various fun-filled fantasies in videos for nearly 800,000 subscribers. But when the cameras were off, their lives were far from the fun times they portrayed.

Machelle Hackney, 48, of Arizona, is being accused of committing acts such as spraying them with pepper spray, holding their heads underwater, and denying them food and water, police say, according to AZ Central.

The Daily Mail reports Hackney was getting rich in the process. According to expert estimates, "Fantastic Adventures" likely made a profit of $2.5 million in ad revenue, with YouTube typically keeping just over $1.1 million.

Hackney was charged with two counts of molestation of a child, seven counts of child abuse, five counts of unlawful imprisonment and five counts of child neglect. Hackney’s adult sons Ryan and Logan Hackney are said to have known about the abuse and now face seven counts of failing to report abuse of a minor. All three are being held without bond.

Authorities were alert to the speculated abuse after a woman claiming to be Hackney’s biological daughter tipped them off, ABC Action News reported.

YouTube said in a statement about the matter, “We take safety on YouTube very seriously. We work closely with leading child-safety organizations and others in our industry to protect young people. When we’re made aware of serious allegations of this nature we take action, which may include suspending monetization, or, upon conclusion of an investigation, terminating channels.”

YouTube told The Republic that Hackney's channel was demonetized after her arrest. The video-sharing site will reportedly terminate the "Fantastic Adventures" channel should Hackney be convicted or enter a guilty plea.