The Ohio couple accused of keeping 16 children in a "house of horrors" are facing new child sex abuse charges. Prosecutors have hit Gary Siders Jr., 37, and Elizabeth Siders, 33, with new indictments this week, just two months after police raided their home.
New Charges Filed
The pair have been charged with two counts of third-degree sexual battery and third-degree felony unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, in addition to the child endangerment charges. Officers have accused the father of further charges of historic sex abuse on a minor.
Prosecutors said: "Law enforcement sought the DNA of Gary Siders Jr. related to the child sex abuse case. Serving those search warrants is what unexpectedly led authorities to the house where the 16 children were living."
Investigation Details
The alleged young relative victim of the abuse is not a member of the Siders' immediate family. It is claimed Elizabeth and Gary reportedly abused a minor more than 10 years younger than them between January and September 2022.
Prosecutors added: "Upon serving search warrants for the child sex abuse case, the existing condition of the 16 children at the Ohmer Street house became known. The child sex abuse cases involve interfamily relations and do not pose a risk to the general public."
Ongoing Legal Process
Following the discovery of the "house of horrors," Gary Jr. and Elizabeth were each indicted on 19 counts of child endangerment, including second-degree felonies alleging the children suffered serious physical harm. Gary Jr.'s parents, Christina Siders, 68, and Gary Siders Sr., 73, also face 19 and 16 child endangerment counts, respectively.
"These indictments are the latest developments in the ongoing investigations, but our work is far from complete," said Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson in a press release. "BCI is actively investigating these cases alongside the Vinton County Sheriff's Office, and my office will continue to support Prosecuting Attorney William Archer as the legal process continues."
The children, ranging in age from 18 months to 18 years, were found living in squalor inside a cramped 12-by-12 room in a scene Wilson described as "pure evil."
