Ohio officials rescue 16 children from a single-room home after four years

Sixteen children, ages 1½ to 18, were rescued from a dilapidated house in Hamden, Ohio, where they had been confined to a single 12-by-12-foot room for up to four years. The children, some of whom could not speak and an 18-year-old with developmental disabilities, were discovered during a search warrant unrelated to the case.

Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain described the environment as having a high presence of bacteria and human feces, saying, > "Most of our livestock was kept in better conditions than the children."

Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson, who was present at the scene, called the situation "pure evil" and said it was the worst he had encountered in his career. He added that the smell lingered with him for nearly 24 hours.

The children’s parents—Gary Siders Jr., Gary Siders Sr., Christina Siders and Elizabeth Siders—and two grandparents have each been charged with 16 counts of second-degree felony child endangerment, which carries a penalty for serious physical harm. Prosecuting Attorney William Archer emphasized that the case is being treated as an intra-family matter rather than human trafficking.

Seven of the children were taken to hospitals in Columbus, with two flown by helicopter to level-one trauma centers. One child remained in critical condition and required intubation.

A judge set bond at $300,000 for each adult defendant, and they entered not-guilty pleas. State officials are seeking temporary custody of all the children.

Neighbors in the small village, which has fewer than 1,000 residents, said they had never seen children at the home. Joseph Stewart, a longtime resident, said he saw "no kids at all" since the family moved in, while Petey Angels described the community as "quiet" and expressed surprise at the allegations.

The investigation revealed that the family had moved around southern Ohio for decades, avoiding medical and school records for the children, which helped keep them hidden from authorities.