An Arizona man known for being featured in a popular YouTube series was sentenced for child sex crimes in Maricopa County.
The biological son of ‘Youtube Mom’, Logan Hackney, was sentenced to four and a half years in prison and must register as a sex offender.
People across the county have followed the case after police say Machelle Hobson of Maricopa forced her seven fostered, then adopted, children to perform in lucrative online videos, while she starved, beat, and pepper-sprayed them behind locked doors.
In a 2021 investigation, ABC15 exposed how DCS and police repeatedly failed to listen to cries for help and rescue the children from the home, despite more than a dozen prior reports of abuse and neglect.
Years later, the brothers, Logan and Ryan Hackney, were charged with multiple counts of child sex crimes allegedly committed in Mesa.
Hackney reached a plea agreement with the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office that included serving time in prison, supervised probation, and that he must register as a sex offender.
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Hackney pleaded guilty to sexual abuse and two counts of attempted sexual conduct with a minor.
A judge sentenced Hackney to four and half years but will be given credit for 631 days for time already served.
Two victims were inside the court and were referred to as ‘Victim A’ and ‘Victim B.' One victim told the judge she is not a foster child and is a biological sibling of Hackney.
Hackney’s defense attorney, John Vingelli, told the judge that the abuse wasn’t only for the victims in this case, but all the kids. He said, “kids were physically beaten for failing to remember their lines when making YouTube videos for the mother, forced to sleep on the floor, pepper spray was found in the home.”
See previous coverage of this case here.
"YouTube Mom" Machelle Hobson died before ever going to trial. She was facing 29 child abuse charges involving seven of her adopted children, who investigators say she forced to perform in lucrative online videos.
Hackney’s brother, Ryan, was also charged with child sex crimes and has yet to be sentenced.
