In a chilling case that has shocked the community, four members of an Ohio family have been arrested after authorities found 16 children living in deplorable conditions, underscoring a severe case of neglect.
During a press conference on July 1, Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain painted a grim picture, comparing the children’s living conditions unfavorably with that of livestock. The presence of bacterial and human waste was overwhelming, making it a highly unsanitary environment. “It was just a disgusting scene,” he declared, as footage streamed via WBNS captured the emotional briefing.
Now facing the repercussions, Gary Siders Jr., Elizabeth Siders, Gary Siders Sr., and Christina Siders have all been charged with 17 counts of child endangerment as of June 30, according to a statement released by the Ohio Attorney General.
The discovery came when investigators, while executing a search warrant for an unrelated investigation, stumbled upon the dire situation within the family home. The conditions were nothing short of appalling.
Addressing the media, Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson expressed profound concern over the family’s efforts to conceal the children, suggesting it was a deliberate attempt to hide the neglect. “The evidence shows that these folks were pretty good at hiding these kids,” Wilson stated. “They knew that if anybody actually knew what was going on, these kids probably would have been removed.”
Though Wilson has been to poverty-stricken areas before, he said he had never seen anything like he saw at the Hamden property, adding, “It’s the type of thing that we’re not used to seeing.”
All 16 children—who ranged in age from 18 months to 18—were removed from the property and taken to the hospital for evaluation. According to Wilson, one was in critical condition at the intensive care unit and two had been flown to trauma centers, while others were treated and released.
“I think if they would have waited another 24 hours,” he said, “there was a very high probability that we’d be dealing with…a death or multiple deaths of these children.”
Officials noted that one of the biggest challenges in the investigation has been that some of the children are unable to communicate and have limited speech abilities. Wilson described the children—who were not enrolled in school—as looking “almost feral,” adding, “It was terrible.”
The family has lived in multiple Ohio counties since 2008, but had been in Vinton County for approximately four years, authorities said.
“The children were kept in a roughly 12 by 12 area,” Cain added. “It seems like is where they’ve spent the most of the last four years.”
Vinton County Prosecutor William Archer described the oldest child as being “developmentally disabled” and said she couldn’t spell her own name.
Wilson said additional charges could be possible as the ongoing investigation continues.
All four adults—who were described as being the grandma, grandpa, mother and father of the children—are currently being held on $300,000 bond, prosecutors said in the statement.
It’s unclear whether they have retained attorneys.
The children have been placed in the temporary custody of the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services.
“This case continues to reveal the unimaginable conditions these children were forced to endure. I said yesterday that what investigators encountered was pure evil, and the evidence we’ve uncovered since only reinforces that assessment,” Wilson noted, per the statement. “Our focus remains on protecting these children, supporting their recovery and ensuring everyone responsible is held fully accountable under Ohio law.”