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Since 2008, the YouTube SevenAwesomeKids franchise is a must-see destination for teenage girls who want to watch video content featuring their peers. The franchise's seven channels garnered 17 million subscribers, with the largest channel, SevenSuperGirls, with around 9 million subscribers. SevenAwesomeKids has a list of over 20 real girls, ages 8 to 18, who are paid to play in videos produced and directed by owner Ian Rylett, and updated daily. Or they were updated daily until mid-August, when the franchise suddenly stopped updating – because Rylett, 55, was arrested in Florida for "obscene and lascivious aggression" following an incident with a young man star of the franchise.
According to the arrest warrant obtained by Buzzfeed News on August 16, Rylett reportedly verbally abused the victim under the age of 16, asking her to undress in front of him and forcing her to "dress with her breasts." to make them look smaller for the video. The victim also alleged that Rylett had touched her breasts, patted her and attempted to forcefully remove her, threatening to "use the contract to fine her if she did not meet her needs." not at his request.
According to Buzzfeed News, when he appeared in late August, Rylett pleaded not guilty, handed over his passport (he lives in the UK) and should be tried later this year.
Buzzfeed News interviewed many current and former SevenAwesomeKids artists; while no one has explicitly accused Rylett of sexual or verbal abuse, many have described an "awkward" behavior, such as putting pressure on them to carry small swimsuits, joking about "wardrobe malfunctions" was present. Their parents, according to a former star, "had no power – [it was] all Ian.
Last summer, comedian Daniel Tosh made a segment on SevenAwesomeKids in his show Tosh.0, in which he suggested that some of the 12 billion views of the franchise came from predators and child molesters. According to Buzzfeed News, the segment hit a string with several former SevenAwesomeKids artists.
"Some of us started to feel like we were prepared for a darker audience," said a former interpreter at Buzzfeed News. "Things that did not seem strange at the time – like themes, leotards and camera angles – felt strange. I started feeling this feeling especially when you think that some of these girls are nine years old.
SevenAwesomeKids channels remain online and Buzzfeed News claims that there is no evidence that YouTube has made any effort to contact franchise performers. YouTube said the franchise chains were demonetized as soon as they learned of Rylett's arrest and in a statement to Buzzfeed News, YouTube wrote, "We take security on YouTube very seriously. We work closely with leading child safety organizations and others in our sector to protect young people. When we become aware of serious allegations of this nature, we take steps that may include suspension of monetization or, upon completion of an investigation, termination of the chain. "
According to Buzzfeed News, this wait-and-see approach reflects the lack of significant monitoring of the platform.
"Two years ago, I was telling my mom that if it was a real entertainment activity – you know, with rules – I would report it in an instant," an artist told Buzzfeed News. "But I can not because there's no one here to help me."
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