Two men have been charged with sex abuse in Vinton County, Ohio, alongside the parents of 16 children who were found in squalid conditions. Josh Saunders, 23, and Brandon Henderson Sr., 40, were indicted Friday on charges that prosecutors say were initiated by a December probe into alleged child sex abuse.
The investigation into Saunders and Henderson reportedly led authorities to the home of Gary Siders Jr. and Elizabeth Siders, uncovering the dire living situation of the 16 children. Henderson faces 21 charges of child endangerment, while Saunders has been charged with three counts of rape and one count of gross sexual imposition. Authorities have confirmed the victims are minors but have not specified their relationship to the accused.
Public records indicate a familial connection between Henderson and the Siders family. Henderson is reportedly the uncle of the 16 children rescued from the property on June 30. He married Virginia Siders, a sister of Gary Siders Jr. Virginia Siders was also previously married to a man named Joshua D. Saunders, 42, who has been incarcerated since 2009 on murder charges; his relationship to the younger Josh Saunders is unclear.
Gary and Elizabeth Siders face charges of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor and sexual battery. Prosecutors state these charges relate to the alleged mistreatment of a minor who is not a member of their immediate family and occurred between January and September 2022. The exact nature of the relationship between the younger Saunders and the Siders family was not immediately detailed.