Gary Siders Jr., 36, was wanted on public indecency charges when deputies serving a warrant at his Hamden, Ohio home discovered 16 children living in squalid conditions. The children, aged 18 months to 18 years, were confined to a single 12-by-12-foot room infested with bugs and covered in feces, according to authorities.
Warrant Leads to Horrific Discovery
Deputies arrived at the Ohmer Street home on June 30 to serve an indecency warrant for Siders Jr., who had allegedly exposed himself four times in May 2026. Court documents from Vinton County show the incidents occurred on May 23, 27, 29, and 31. A formal arrest request was filed on June 29, and deputies executed the warrant the next day.
Upon entering, officers found conditions so appalling that the arrest warrant became secondary. Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson called the scene “pure evil,” and Sheriff Ryan Cain said livestock in the area were kept in better conditions, according to NBC News.
Children in 'Almost Feral' State
Investigators believe the children had been confined to the room for nearly four years. They were described as “almost feral,” with several unable to speak. The eldest, an 18-year-old with developmental disabilities, could not spell or write her own name. None had ever been enrolled in school.
Medical staff warned that if the children had remained inside for another 24 hours, multiple deaths could have occurred. Seven were rushed to hospitals in Columbus, two were airlifted to level-one trauma centers, and one child required intubation.
Adults Charged with Child Endangerment
Four adults were arrested at the home: Gary Siders Jr.; mother Elizabeth Siders, who has reportedly been pregnant almost every year since 2008; and grandparents Gary Siders Sr., 73, and Christina Siders. All four face 16 felony counts each of child endangerment involving serious physical harm.
Siders Jr. is due in court on the public indecency charges on July 23, as reported by WOWK 13 News.
