Sixteen children have been rescued from a tiny Ohio home where police say some 'looked like feral animals' and others couldn't even speak. Four adults have since been charged over what investigators described as conditions of 'pure evil'.
Discovery and Rescue
Deputies from the Vinton County Sheriff's Office made the discovery on Tuesday morning after carrying out a search warrant at the property in Hamden. The village is home to fewer than 1,000 people and sits about 60 miles southeast of Columbus. The children ranged in age from just 18 months to 18 years old and included both boys and girls.
Officials said several were in a serious condition when they were found, with two airlifted to Level I trauma centres because of the severity of their injuries. Wilson said some of the children 'couldn't even speak' by the time they were found. He added: 'They looked like almost feral animals. It was terrible.'
Investigation and Charges
Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said investigators were confronted by scenes that were difficult even for seasoned officers to process. He described 'conditions you cannot even imagine people being in, let alone children being in'. The children's medical condition meant getting them to hospital became the immediate priority, rather than beginning interviews at the scene. Wilson said investigators focused first on making sure they received urgent treatment.
Sheriff Ryan Cain said the home was littered with human faeces and investigators believe the children had been kept in a small room for nearly four years. He said the conditions were so poor that 'most of our livestock was kept in better conditions than the children'.
Suspects and Legal Proceedings
Four members of the Siders family were arrested following the raid and have each been charged with 17 counts of child endangering, a second-degree felony. They have been identified as Gary Siders Jr, Gary Siders Sr, Christina Siders and Elizabeth Siders. Prosecuting attorney William Archer said the charges were brought because prosecutors allege that the parents and grandparents were responsible for causing 'serious physical harm'. He said that no child should ever have to endure those kinds of living conditions.
Archer added: 'Our children deserve better from their parents, guardians and custodians. My office will do everything in our power to make sure these children get the love and care they deserve.' He also said prosecutors intend to pursue the case 'to the fullest extent of the law'. The four defendants appeared before the Vinton County Court of Common Pleas on Wednesday and remain in custody on $300,000 bonds.
Background and Ongoing Investigation
Investigators haven't confirmed exactly how all 16 children are related to the four adults. They have, however, stressed that the case is not being treated as one involving human trafficking. The investigation is now stretching well beyond the property where the children were found. Detectives believe the Siders family lived in several Ohio counties after 2008 while avoiding the creation of medical or government records.
Investigators are continuing to piece together the children's backgrounds as they try to establish where the family had been living over the years. Officials haven't released further details about the children's relationships to one another. A relative, Terri Siders, told NBC News she hadn't heard from the family in at least eight years. She said she knew Gary Siders Jr had children but never imagined there were so many. 'I knew little Gary had kids, yeah. I don't remember meeting any of the kids, though,' she said. 'I knew they had a lot of kids through family talking years ago, but there's no way I thought they had that many kids.'
