Sixteen children rescued from dilapidated Ohio home after years of neglect

Sixteen children from a single family were taken from a rundown house in Hamden, Ohio, after investigators found them living in a single 12-by-12-foot room surrounded by human waste. The children, aged 1½ to 18, had not been enrolled in school and many showed severe developmental delays.

Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain said the conditions were worse than those for the family’s livestock. Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson described the scene as “terrible” and likened the children’s appearance to “feral animals.” Seven children were taken to hospitals in Columbus, two by helicopter, and one remained in critical condition.

The parents and two grandparents were charged with second-degree felony child endangerment, a crime that carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. They entered not-guilty pleas and were each set a $300,000 bond. The children have been placed in temporary custody of the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services while the investigation continues.

Investigators, who were executing a search warrant unrelated to the children’s welfare, said the family had avoided contact with medical and government agencies for years. Neighbors reported seeing no children at the property, and the home’s yard contained discarded items such as bicycles, a play table and infant carriers. The case is being reviewed for any prior reports to child-services agencies.