Ohio sheriff: 16 children kept in one room

Ohio authorities say 16 children from the same family were confined to one room in “deplorable conditions” for much of the past four years in a rural home in Hamden. Parents and two grandparents were charged with felony child endangerment as investigators say

When authorities stepped into a dilapidated home in Hamden, Ohio, they found 16 children kept for years in a single room—faces and bodies that, officials said, bore signs of sustained neglect.

Sixteen children were rescued from the rural property after being confined to one room in “deplorable conditions” for much of the past four years. according to authorities on Wednesday. The children. officials said. were from the same family and ranged in age from one and a half to 18. including boys and girls. Officials said some were unable to speak. and that an 18-year-old who was developmentally disabled could not even spell her name.

“This scene was horrible. ” Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain said at a news conference. describing a home where human waste was present around the children and bacteria appeared to be everywhere. “Most of our livestock was kept in better conditions than the children,” he said. “Just a disgusting scene,” Cain added.

The courtroom followed the rescue. The children’s parents and two grandparents—Gary Siders Jr. Gary Siders Sr. Christina Siders. and Elizabeth Siders—were each charged with 16 counts of second-degree felony child endangerment because it involves “serious physical harm. ” said Vinton County Prosecuting Attorney William Archer. Archer emphasized that the case was not being treated as a human trafficking matter, calling it an “intra-family situation.”.

Authorities said they discovered the children while executing a search warrant in an unrelated investigation. Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson described what he saw inside the home in Hamden. a tiny village of fewer than 1. 000 people about 80 miles south-east of Columbus. “We didn’t know there were going to be 16 kids there,” Wilson said. He called the scene “pure evil,” saying it was the worst he had encountered in his career.

Nearly a day later, Wilson said he still “can’t get the smell off of me.” He said the situation involved children who appeared to have been kept out of sight for a long time. “It’s the type of thing that we’re not used to seeing here in America,” Wilson said.

Investigators said it appears the children spent most of their time in a room that was roughly 12ft x 12ft. Cain said he did not disclose how they were kept inside the home, but said authorities did not find any cages.

Medical care followed quickly. Seven of the children were transported to hospitals in Columbus, and two were flown to level one trauma centers by helicopters. Wilson said one child was in critical condition on Tuesday and had to be intubated.

“They looked like almost feral animals,” Wilson said. “It was terrible.”

The adults charged in the case appeared in court on Wednesday. A judge entered not guilty pleas on their behalf, and bond was set at $300,000 each.

Investigators also said members of the family had moved around southern Ohio over the past two decades and that it appeared they avoided setting up medical and government records. Authorities said the children were not enrolled in school. Wilson said the family seemed “pretty adept at keeping these kids out of sight and away from investigators’ eyes. ” adding that it seemed as if no one outside the family knew about the children.

Neighbors in Hamden said the allegations shocked them. Joseph Stewart, 60, told the Associated Press he saw “no kids at all” since the family moved in. Stewart has lived on the street for six years and called it “a quiet neighborhood.” Another neighbor. Petey Angels. 64. told the Columbus Dispatch that he was shocked by the allegations and also had never seen children anywhere near the home. “Nothing happens here,” Angels said of Hamden. “It’s something you wouldn’t expect in this village.”.

As the case moves forward, Archer said the state is seeking temporary custody of all the children. Wilson said the outcome will be pursued in court. “Justice will be served for these children,” he said.

Ohio Hamden Vinton County 16 children rescued child endangerment Ryan Cain William Archer Andy Wilson second-degree felony one room deplorable conditions