Ohio authorities rescued 16 children from a dilapidated home in Hamden, Vinton County, after they were confined to one room in deplorable conditions for much of the past four years, officials said on Wednesday.
Children Found in Squalid Conditions
The children, ranging in age from one and a half to 18, were living in squalor with human waste throughout the home. Some were unable to speak, and an 18-year-old with developmental disabilities could not spell her name. Sheriff Ryan Cain stated, “Most of our livestock was kept in better conditions than the children,” describing a scene with high bacteria and fecal matter. He called it “a disgusting scene.”
Charges Filed Against Family Members
The children’s parents and two grandparents were each charged with 16 counts of second-degree felony child endangerment involving serious physical harm, according to Vinton County Prosecuting Attorney William Archer. He emphasized this was not human trafficking but an “intra-family situation.”
Authorities discovered the children while executing a search warrant in an unrelated investigation. Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said, “We didn’t know there were going to be 16 kids there,” and described the scene as “pure evil” and the worst he had encountered in his career. “It’s the type of thing that we’re not used to seeing here in America,” Wilson added, noting that nearly 24 hours later he “can’t get the smell off of me.”
Children Kept in Small Room
Sheriff Cain said the children spent most of their time in a roughly 12x12-foot room. No cages were found, but seven children were transported to Columbus hospitals, with two flown to level one trauma centers. One child was in critical condition and required intubation. Wilson described the children as “looking like almost feral animals.”
Gary Siders Jr., Gary Siders Sr., Christina Siders, and Elizabeth Siders appeared in court on Wednesday, where not guilty pleas were entered on their behalf and bond was set at $300,000 each.
Family Avoided Detection
Investigators said the family moved around southern Ohio for two decades, avoiding medical and government records. The children were not enrolled in school. Wilson stated, “They were pretty adept at keeping these kids out of sight and away from investigators’ eyes,” and it seemed no one outside the family knew about the children.
Neighbors in Hamden, a village of fewer than 1,000 people about 80 miles southeast of Columbus, were shocked. Joseph Stewart, 60, told the Associated Press he saw “no kids at all” since the family moved in, calling it “a sad situation.” Petey Angels, 64, told the Columbus Dispatch he was shocked and had never seen children near the home. “Nothing happens here,” Angels said. “It’s something you wouldn’t expect in this village.”
Archer said the state is seeking temporary custody of all children. Wilson concluded, “Justice will be served for these children.”
