"Fantastic Adventures" YouTube Channel has more that 800,000 subscriber and has gathered more than 250 million views, with the cast of 7 adopted children.
When the camera was off, however, the children experienced a different story. A welfare check last week found the home was a den of abuse in which their mother would withhold food and water for days at a time, pepper-spraying them, forcing them to take ice baths and locking them in a closet.
Police on Friday arrested their mother, Machelle Hobson, 48, on two counts of molestation of a child, seven counts of child abuse, five counts of child neglect and five counts of unlawful imprisonment. The Pinal County Sheriff's Office mistakenly listed her last name as Hackney but later provided her correct surname.
Hobson's adult sons, Logan and Ryan Hackney, also were arrested Friday. They face seven charges each. They are accused of failing to report the abuse of a minor.
Hobson's attorney, Richard Scherb, told CNN the state's case "is without merit."
Her bond is set at $200,000 and her adult sons, Ryan and Logan Hackney, have been released from jail on their own recognizance, said Christy Wilcox, spokeswoman for the Pinal County Attorney.
In the police report, Hobson said the closet in her room is never used for punishment, and she denied the accusations involving pepper spray and ice baths. She said the only forms of punishment she uses are having them stand in the corner, spankings and being grounded, the statement said.
Ryan Hackney invoked his Miranda rights, but Logan Hackney spoke to police and said the children were locked in the closet, pepper-sprayed and forced to take ice baths, the statement said.
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