Hackney, 48, was charged with two counts of child molestation, seven counts of child abuse, five counts of unlawful imprisonment and five counts of child neglect.
She had been accused of starving her children and using pepper spray to punish them.
Authorities have said Hackney locked up children in a closet for days without food, water or access to a bathroom.
YouTube terminated Hackney's channel after determining the channel violated its guidelines.
Episodes featured skits about children stealing cookies and a boy with superpowers.
A spokeswoman for the Pinal County Attorney’s Office, the agency prosecuting Hackney, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Police have said the children were taken out of school so they could keep filming the video series and hadn’t been back for years.
Hackney's biological daughter, who is an adult, alerted police of the abuse, prompting officers to visit Hackney's home in the city of Maricopa, about 35 miles south of Phoenix.
Alleged Abuse
When officers arrived at Hackney's residence on March 13, they found seven children "who appeared to be malnourished, due to their pale complexion, dark rings under their eyes, underweight, and they stated they were thirsty and hungry," reported ABC News. Police spoke with several children. One of them appeared "too scared to answer any questions."The children accused Hackney of locking them in a closet for days at a time without water. One of the children was made to wear a pull-up diaper and was not allowed to use the bathroom. Moreover, the children were allegedly pepper sprayed, spanked, and forced to take ice baths. If they resisted they were punished.
Hackney's son Logan allegedly admitted to police that he was aware of the abuse on his siblings, saying that he had observed physical injuries on the children and has also heard them scream and cry, the complaint said. Moreover, the children told authorities that Ryan would sneak them food when they were being locked in the closet, reported ABC News.