Authorities in Ohio have charged parents Elizabeth Siders and Gary Siders Jr. with child endangerment and sexual offenses after discovering 16 children living in deplorable conditions in their Hamden home. The children, aged 18 months to 18 years old, were found on June 30 and described by officials as living in "squalid 'third world' conditions."
New Charges Filed
A Vinton County grand jury on Friday indicted Elizabeth Siders and Gary Siders Jr. on multiple counts. Gary Siders Jr. faces two counts of sexual battery and two counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. Elizabeth Siders was also charged with two counts of sexual battery and two counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. The couple had previously been arrested and charged with 16 counts of child endangerment each.
Vinton County Prosecutor William Archer stated that the case leading to the discovery of the children "began as an investigation into family child sex abuse." He explained that law enforcement sought Gary Siders Jr.'s DNA for genetic testing in connection with this investigation. During the execution of search warrants for his DNA, authorities uncovered the conditions at the Siders' home on the 180 block of Ohmer Street.
Archer emphasized that the alleged child sex abuse involved "intrafamily relations" and did not pose a risk to the public, nor was it a case of human trafficking. The investigation into the Siders family reportedly began in December when the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation's Special Victims Unit started looking into allegations involving two children, which led to separate indictments against two other men.
Discovery Stemming from Broader Investigation
Joshua David Saunders, 23, was indicted on charges including rape and gross sexual imposition. Brandon Scott Henderson Sr., 40, faces 21 charges, including endangering children, gross sexual imposition, and sexual battery. Both men were arrested on Friday. Henderson Sr. is reportedly the partner of the mother of Joshua Saunders, who is a nephew of Gary Siders Jr.
This investigation into Saunders and Henderson Sr. prompted a second inquiry in March concerning alleged unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. It was during this phase that authorities executed a search warrant at the Siders' home on June 30, leading to the rescue of the 16 children.
Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson described the scene as "almost feral animals" and stated the home was covered in human feces, calling the discovery "pure evil." Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain noted that "most of our livestock was kept in better conditions than the children." Investigators believe a small room in the house may have been where the children were kept for approximately four years.
Gary Siders Sr., 73, and Christina 'Lynn' Siders, 67, the parents of Gary Siders Jr., also resided on the property and were each charged with 16 counts of child endangerment. Gary Siders Sr. was released on his own recognizance due to a medical condition but is required to wear a GPS monitor.
Defense Arguments
Tommy Stolly, an attorney for Elizabeth Siders, has pushed back against the characterizations of the children's living conditions. Stolly argued that the family was living in "extreme poverty" and that the children "could talk" when police arrived. He suggested the family might have been living in a "different reality" and did not perceive their situation as dire as outside observers did. The children were reportedly terrified during the search warrant execution.