Arizona Removed Children From Mom In Abuse Case
Mar 20, 2019, 3:11 PM | Updated: Jun 8, 2022, 5:13 pm
Credit: Pinal County Adult Detention Center
1:20 p.m.
The Arizona Department of Child Safety says it removed the children from the home of a woman with a popular YouTube channel who was arrested on suspicion of abusing her seven adopted kids.
The state agency said it took the children from 48-year-old Machelle Hackney’s home Thursday, one day before her arrest. It cited confidentiality laws in declining to answer questions about Hackney, including whether it had prior contacts with her or prior complaints.
Hackney’s channel has millions of views. She also has related Instagram and Facebook accounts.
A police report released Wednesday says the children say they were disciplined with pepper spray or locked in a closet without food or water if they did not perform in the videos as directed.
It’s not known if Hackney has an attorney.
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11:25 a.m.
A YouTube channel of an Arizona woman arrested on suspicion of abusing her seven adopted children shows them in simple skits about a kid stealing cookies or a little boy with super powers.
The channel that authorities say 48-year-old Machelle Hackney runs has millions of views. She also has related Instagram and Facebook accounts.
A police report released Wednesday says the children say they were disciplined with pepper spray or locked in a closet without food or water if they did not perform in the videos as directed.
Two adult sons of Hackney were arrested on allegations of failing to report child abuse.
Hackney and the two grown sons remained in jail on Wednesday. It was unknown if any of the three have attorneys.
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9:20 a.m.
Arizona authorities say two adult sons of a woman arrested on allegations of using pepper spray to discipline her seven younger adopted children are being held on suspicion of failing to report abuse of a minor.
A police statement released Wednesday says Logan and Ryan Hackney were booked into jail.
Authorities said their mother Machelle Hackney disciplined the adopted children by locking them in a closet for days without food, water or bathroom access. The kids were featured on her popular YouTube channel.
A police report says officers arriving at the house in the small city of Maricopa south of Phoenix found six of the children appeared malnourished and underweight.
It was not immediately clear if the 48-year-old mother or her two grown sons had an attorney.
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8 a.m.
Arizona authorities say a woman has been arrested on allegations of using pepper spray to discipline her seven adopted children and locking them for days inside a closet.
A police report says Machelle Hackney’s adopted children had no food, water or access to a bathroom for days while inside the closet at her home in the small city of Maricopa south of Phoenix.
The report says that officers who went to the house last week reported that six of the children appeared malnourished and underweight.
Hackney was being held at the Pinal County Jail on suspicion of two counts of molestation of a child, seven counts of child abuse and five counts of unlawful imprisonment and child neglect.
It was unclear Tuesday whether 48-year-old Hackney had a lawyer.
