AZ - Mom starved, beat, locked up & pepper sprayed 7 adopted children, Maricopa, Mar 2019 *mom died*

[LietKynes]

Mom is accused of PEPPER SPRAYING her seven adopted kids to force them to perform in YouTube videos | Daily Mail Online

• 
  
  
  • Machelle Hackney, 48, was arrested on Friday in Maricopa, Arizona
  • Police say she abused her seven adopted children, ranging in age from six to 15
  • Allegedly forced them to perform on YouTube and beat them if they refused
  • Used pepper spray on their genitals, ice baths and stress positions, cops say

The channel features her adopted children, ranging in age from six to 15, performing in a variety of whimsical scripted adventures often involving Nerf battles, and ending with the children facing the camera with a plea to 'like and subscribe.'

The Facebook page : Fantastic Adventures - Home

The YT channel is still live and is under the title : "Fantastic Adventures".

Fantastic Adventures - YouTube

US mum 'abused kids who performed on family YouTube channel' - BBC News


Hoping they will all find a safe home.
The adult sons of Machelle Hackney --who goes by her maiden name Hobson have also been arrested.
Ryan and Logan Hackney were charged with child abuse as well and it's possible they were abusing these children.

From the mugshot of Machelle, it does not look like a person who is capable of caring for children.
Although this woman (MH) may have lied to the adoption agency to cover for her abuse and torture of these little ones.


These children were let down by everyone , aside from the whistle blower.
Sad that it took so long.

Hoping that they will be placed in loving foster homes where they will be safe.
Or adopted out to responsible families !

Eta : Sorry for the typo in the title. Have reported this thread to a mod to complete the title , as I cannot seem to change it.
Any member advice is appreciated .

Also want to add that it appears that this woman passed background checks and presented herself in a manner which displayed a loving home.
Thankful that their treatment was disclosed by the daughter and hoping for a better, bright future for these youngsters !

 

[gitana1]

Kudos to her adult daughter who reported the abuse. Unlike her creepy sons.

So sad for these kids. They came from tragic situations into this.

 

[LietKynes]

Echoes of the Hart family tragedy, although these kids weren't murdered.
In one of the YT vids, the young boy appears to be wearing a girl's shirt which is too large and slipping off his shoulder. And he seems nervous.
Crazy Wizard Spell Battle! Harry Potter Wand War! - YouTube


Makes a person wonder about some of the other videos on YT and what is really happening behind the scenes ?

 

[human]

I am always suspicious now of people who adopt a lot of kids. One child with issues is hard enough.

 

[ILikeToBendPages]

We had a neighbor that foster special needs children. You get more money them. She would take kids in and it ended when a young girl told my grandaughter about trying to kill herself . She was ten years old. Another child "fell off " a top bunk bed and had a broken arm. You could hear kids screaming inside and others would get outside and try to get away. So I called CPS and the police, and that ended her foster care home . She had plenty of money for new cars and was dressed to the nines, but the kids were in ill-fitting worn out clothes. And to think that those children came from horrible life to her house made me furious .

 

[LietKynes]

There are people who have adopted and fostered children who are doing a good job... but these people usually do not make the front page news.
Just an afterthought : Maybe msm could showcase some of the successful examples --and not just the horrific ones ?
I know there are good adoptive/foster families out there !

I hope these poor children can live somewhere safely from now on.
It'd be nice if they could have their bio-surnames back if they wanted it.
And not have to be labeled with the Hackney/Hobson name.

Also, if you see something --say something.
Terrible of Machelle Hackney/Hobson to basically use her kids for profit.
Also am against a system that pays people with special needs children , and never performs welfare checks on the adults who are receiving payments (Never looking after the children's welfare ).
Where are the checks and balances in this scenario ?

One of Machelle's daughters was blind ; and on her FB page (Machelle's) was talking about her and taking photos..... did that girl even realize she was being photographed ??
Maybe FB and YT could remove all of her social media ?
FB has probably shut down people's accounts for other reasons that are less serious than exploitation and abuse !

 

[gitana1]

There are people who have adopted and fostered children who are doing a good job... but these people usually do not make the front page news.
Just an afterthought : Maybe msm could showcase some of the successful examples --and not just the horrific ones ?
I know there are good adoptive/foster families out there !

I hope these poor children can live somewhere safely from now on.
It'd be nice if they could have their bio-surnames back if they wanted it.
And not have to be labeled with the Hackney/Hobson name.

Also, if you see something --say something.
Terrible of Machelle Hackney/Hobson to basically use her kids for profit.
Also am against a system that pays people with special needs children , and never checks on the adults who are receiving payments.
Never checking on the children's welfare.
Where are the checks and balances in this scenario ?

One of Machelle's daughters was blind ; and on her FB page (Machelle's) was talking about her and taking photos. did that girl even realize she was being photographed ??
Maybe FB and YT could remove all of her social media ?
FB has probably shut down people's accounts for other reasons that are less serious than exploitation and abuse !

Her YouTube account has been taken down.

 

[RickshawFan]

CNN coverage:

'Fantastic Adventures' YouTube mom accused of pepper-spraying and abusing children - CNN

 

[RickshawFan]

Well now she can have a 'fantastic adventure' in prison...... hope the inmates give her the works.
Wonder how she treated her bio-kids ?

It sounded as though one of them (Logan?) spilled the beans and verified what the adopted kids were saying. The bio kids might also have been pressured into abusing the adopted kids, too. I think we need more information on this before being quick to judge....it may be they had no option but to go along with what mom said.
Does Machelle have a partner/spouse? If not, how could one woman adopt all those kids?

*******

Those videos she made were evidently 10-15 minutes long..... Rehearsing and shooting them must have taken HOURS. And no one of those 800,000 subscribers thought to ask how kids would have hours on their schedule to do something like that every week? Memorizing lines, practicing scenes, letting mom try various scenarios? No one added up hours in their head? No one thought to wonder when the kids did any school work? Went to sleep? Play? Story time?

Shame on every last one of those 800,000 for not being the "grown ups in the room" and registering that something must be going on for kids to be spending that much time making a video for mom on a regular basis.

And no one noticed they were "malnourished" (presumably thin)?

Presumably, the subscribers were moms? And they didn't ask any questions? Get alarmed? Shudder.

 

[LietKynes]

It sounded as though one of them (Logan?) spilled the beans and verified what the adopted kids were saying. The bio kids might also have been pressured into abusing the adopted kids, too. I think we need more information on this before being quick to judge....it may be they had no option but to go along with what mom said.
Does Machelle have a partner/spouse? If not, how could one woman adopt all those kids?

SABBM

^^^ Yes, I wondered that as well !

Couldn't find very much outside of msm articles and her social media.
Her bio-daughter reported them.

Since the two adult sons were arrested as well --maybe one of the adopted children told LE something and had evidence ? (video or photos?)
Since MH was filming them often for the FB page and YT videos-- maybe the kids secretly video'd other times ?

 

[human]

The moms who abused the kids in CA and one drove off a cliff were seen in real life by others. A few people reported but then the moms would move.

So many scammers out there. Many twists on making money

 

[RickshawFan]

SABBM

^^^ Yes, I wondered that as well !

Couldn't find very much outside of msm articles and her social media.
Her bio-daughter reported them.

Since the two adult sons were arrested as well --maybe one of the adopted children told LE something and had evidence ? (video or photos?)
Since MH was filming them often for the FB page and YT videos-- maybe the kids secretly video'd other times ?

IIRC when LE showed up, one kid was in THE closet, the one with the tile floor, where they could be left for days with no food or bathroom facilities.

 

[RickshawFan]

BBC article with more details:

US mum 'starved YouTube channel kids'

 

[RickshawFan]

^^^^ I made an error. Evidently, the child was found in a different closet than the closet with the tile floor. In a pull-up diaper.

 

[LietKynes]

Looked around for a while and cannot find out if MH has any priors ?

This case also reminds me of the Turpins. Even though these kids were extremely 'visible' as opposed to the former ... the system of control and fear this woman and her sons exerted over the adopted children was similar.

 

[LietKynes]

^^^^ I made an error. Evidently, the child was found in a different closet than the closet with the tile floor. In a pull-up diaper.

And this child was too old for a pull-up; fgs !
She had planned to leave the youngster locked away for some time.

 

[LietKynes]

Have been searching and can only find records for a "Michelle Hackney" -- so prob. not her unless she interchanged the spelling of her first name.
She used "Hobson" on her FB page.

Ariz. Mom Who Put Kids in YouTube Videos Alleged Beat, Starved Them | PEOPLE.com
They were allegedly made to stand in a corner with their arms raised above their head “from 6 am till 12 at night,” said one.
Police were alerted to the alleged abuse on March 13 by Machelle Hackney’s 19-year-old daughter, Megan,

YouTube deleted the money-raising function of the subscription “Amazing Adventures” channel after the arrests, reports AZFamily.com
-- but said it would await the outcome of the case before taking further steps.

Those children should receive ALL of that money !!
They earned it (and suffered horribly in the process).
For therapy, medical treatment, and god knows what else.

Cannot imagine making a child go without a meal.
Yet we see other cases here on WS where adults use starvation as a "punishment".
It's too bad that the punishment for abusive adults cannot fit the crime.

TIME - Posts
Interesting comments.....

'Fantastic Adventures' YouTube channel creator Machelle Hackney charged with abusing children - The Washington Post
Millions watched her kids on YouTube. Off-screen, she was beating and starving them, police say.
YouTube didn’t terminate “Fantastic Adventures” until Wednesday, though the company said it had demonetized the channel when it became aware of Hackney’s arrest. Ricardo Alvarado, a Maricopa police spokesman, said local authorities had faxed the necessary paperwork to YouTube on Monday, adding that he found it curious that it had taken two days for the account to come down.
Emphasis mine

Maybe YT is reluctant to part with a money-maker , even when faced with clear evidence of abuse ??
If so, shame on them.

Mom with kids on YouTube channel suspected of child abuse - StamfordAdvocate

The son's interactions with them were terse but did not seem abusive, Fragua said.

^^^Although that was when the family were observed outdoors.
There had to be cause for both sons to be arrested..... most likely those children are speaking up now !

YouTube Mom accused of horrifying abuse | WCYB
One child told DCS he would be beaten in the head by his mother’s knuckles, which he said felt like being hit with a hammer.

Maybe all YT videos with children need to be demonetized; and the children depicted should have welfare checks on a regular basis ?

 

[RickshawFan]

Maybe all YT videos with children need to be demonetized; and the children depicted should have welfare checks on a regular basis ?

Yes!

Anyway, isn't it breaking the law for young kids to work without special provisions, including limitations on number of hours, required breaks, the necessity for schooling, supervision (not just mom), etc.? And aren't working kids supposed to be getting paid a certain amount? And the money goes into trusts that can't be accessed by unscrupulous people (like moms, agents, etc.). The law recognizes child's work as easy to exploit.

Isn't any legal mechanism applied to child labor on YouTube? There's no one checking?

That couple in Oregon/Washington who drove off a cliff and killed everyone—they had 6 adopted kids, and likewise presented their lives and kids as wondrous. They constantly had them posing and rehearsed action scenes.

In Machelle's case, there's no one in 800,000 viewers who's not aware of child labor law? Sickening.

Criminal that YouTube is only shutting down the monetization feature. They're still allowing the kids to be exploited.

 

[LietKynes]

Thanks to the mods for correcting the title.

 

[LietKynes]

A YT news vid said the whistle-blower daughter received custody of the two youngest, and the others have been placed elsewhere.
I'm thinking that monster adoptive mother was withholding food in order to keep them diminutive ?
Those 'kid videos' were making her a hefty amount.