The cases, according to police, took place in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, and São Caetano, São Paulo. The victims are reportedly child actors between 10 and 14 years old. The YouTuber contacted the children through Instagram promising access to jobs and saying that he had been hired by a major TV station, police said.
Maciel was a presenter for SBT Games, the gaming division of Brazilian television network SBT, which linked Maciel to the arrest in a statement on Tuesday. Video of the arrest from Brazilian outlet G1 shows a man that appears to be Maciel.
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SBT Games said that Maciel was no longer part of the segment of streamers for SBT Games. "The SBT awaits the elucidation of the facts and the result of the investigation, which resulted in the arrest of the YouTuber this Tuesday morning," the statement reads.
According to the police statement, a mother told police that her son had suffered from abuse from the arrested YouTuber between February and May, with another child younger than 12 reporting having been abused as well.
Maciel did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
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