FOUR people have been charged in connection with the severe mistreatment of 16 children, including a mother and father.
The four adults are being charged with 17 second-degree counts of felony child endangering on the grounds of “serious physical harm” being done.
Officials described the home as in a condition no person should be in, let alone childrenCredit: WHSV3
Two of the children had to be flown to level one trauma centers for their injuriesCredit: WHSV3
Gary Siders Jr., 73, and the others face 17 total counts of felony child endangeringCredit: Vinton County Sheriff’s Office
Elizabeth Siders, 33, and her codefendants pleaded not guilty on WednesdayCredit: Vinton County Sheriff’s Office
Gary Siders Jr., Gary Siders Sr., Christina Siders and Elizabeth Siders of Hamden, Ohio, roughly 80 miles outside Columbus, entered pleas of not guilty at a digital hearing on Wednesday.
Each face a minimum of two to eight years, and a maximum of 12 years in prison for each of the 17 charges.
Bail for each was set at $300,000, with additional charges expected to be brought forward as the investigation develops.
The children range from one-and-a-half to 18, and include boys and girls who were found in serious conditions.
Gary Siders Jr., 36, and his codefendants had their bails set at $300,000Credit: Vinton County Sheriff’s Office
Christina Siders, 67, and the other three adults were said to be keeping the children in an area no larger than 12 feet by 12 feetCredit: Vinton County Sheriff’s Office
Two were flown to level one trauma centers over their injuries, with law enforcement officials describing the scene as “pure evil.”
“Conditions you cannot even imagine people being in, let alone children being in,” said Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson at a news conference.
Officials did not comment on the relation between the children, but confirmed it was not a case of human trafficking.
Law enforcement says the children appeared to have been kept in an area no larger than 12 feet by 12 feet for “most of the last 4 years.”
A bird’s eye view of the home, with a pile of trash in the yardCredit: AP
The overgrown home was so decrepit that it was falling apart, according to law enforcementCredit: AP
Trash was found piling up outside of the houseCredit: AP
A look inside the house revealed more trash piled up, even at its entrywaysCredit: AP
“Most of the livestock was kept in better condition than the children,” said Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain.
He further described conditions that had a high presence of human waste and excrement.
Conditions in the house were so decrepit that the children were “literally about to fall through the floor,” according to Wilson.
He added that some of the children were unable to speak, with one of the children, 18, being unable to spell her own name.
In addition to the two children flown to trauma centers, seven children were taken to Columbus Hospitals with one admitted to the ICU and intubated.
These conditions were discovered as the culmination of another investigation, local law enforcement said.
Neighbors who spoke with authorities said they weren’t aware of children living in the home, local CBS affiliate WBNS reported.
The family appears to have been in Vinton County for four years, and were hiding the children because “they knew these kids were neglected” per Wilson.
FBI says Nancy Guthrie ransom notes were 𝒻𝒶𝓀𝑒 – casting doubt on major theory
Police found them in a Vinton County property that was owned by the trust of a deceased woman, adding that they were not locals and appeared to be traveling.
Wilson added that law enforcement is still at the very beginning of their investigation, with officials not commenting on whether or not there was any sexual 𝓪𝓫𝓾𝓼𝓮.
