Authorities rescued sixteen children from what they described as a "house of horrors" in rural Ohio, discovering them in a dilapidated home under deplorable conditions. Four adults, identified as parents and grandparents of the children, have been charged with 17 counts each of endangering children, a second-degree felony.
The Vinton County Sheriff's Office executed a search warrant on Tuesday morning as part of an ongoing investigation, uncovering the scene described by Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson as "pure evil." Some of the children found "couldn't even speak" and appeared "like almost feral animals," Wilson stated at a news conference.
Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain described the home in Hamden, a town with a population of less than 1,000, as littered with human feces. Investigators believe a small room in the house was used to confine the children for nearly four years. "Most of our livestock was kept in better conditions than the children," Cain said.
The children range in age from 18 months to 18 years. Several were found in serious condition, with two requiring transport via helicopter to level one trauma centers due to their injuries. Officials confirmed the situation was not a human trafficking case, and the four arrested adults were not locals but appeared to have been traveling.
Prosecuting attorney William Archer stated that felony charges were filed because the adults were responsible for causing "serious physical harm." He emphasized that "our children deserve better from their parents, guardians, and custodians. No child should endure these kinds of conditions." His office pledged to ensure the children receive the care they deserve and to prosecute those responsible to the fullest extent of the law.
The four individuals, Gary Siders Jr, Gary Siders Sr, Christina Siders, and Elizabeth Siders, were arraigned in Vinton County Court of Common Pleas on Wednesday morning and are being held on a $300,000 bond each. Investigators indicated that the Siders family may have lived in multiple Ohio counties since 2008, actively avoiding the establishment of medical or government records.
A relative, Terri Siders, told NBC News that she had not heard from the family in at least eight years and expressed disbelief at the number of children involved.
