Relative speaks out as 16 Ohio children found trapped in one room in ‘third world’ conditions

A relative of the Siders family has spoken out after 16 children were found confined to one tiny room at a home in Ohio, where they had been held for four years.

Authorities rescued the kids, who are all aged between one and 18, from the rural home in Hamden. At a press conference, Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said they looked “almost like feral animals” after being held in “third world” conditions.

They were trapped in one room that was just 12 feet by 12 feet and surrounded by human waste. Police were responding to another incident in the area when they made the shocking discovery, and had no idea there were going to be 16 kids in the home.

Credit: Southern Ohio Regional Jail

The children’s parents and two grandparents, Gary Siders Sr, 73, Christina Siders, 77, Gary Siders Jr, 36, and Elizabeth Siders, 33, have all been arrested and charged with 16 counts of second-degree felony child endangerment.

A relative of the father, Tessa Siders, told NBC News she was in complete shock as she had no idea the family had that many kids, and she hadn’t seen them for eight years. “I knew little Gary had kids, yeah. I don’t remember meeting any of the kids, though,” she said. “I knew they had a lot of kids through family talking years ago, but there’s no way I thought they had that many kids.”

She also revealed she has only met Elizabeth, the mother of the 16 children, once. Local residents were completely unaware that the children existed, and none of them were enrolled in school.

Credit: Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson

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A man who lives on the same street in Hamden, a small town with a population of less than 1,000 people, said he has lived there for six years and saw “no kids at all”. Joseph Stewart, 60, told the Associated Press: “It’s a sad situation. It’s a quiet neighbourhood.”

Another neighbour, Petey Angels, 64, told the Columbus Dispatch that he’s never seen any children near the home either. “Nothing happens here. It’s something you wouldn’t expect in this village,” he said.

Police said the family were “pretty good at hiding these kids” and seemed to move around Ohio a lot before settling in Vinton County around four years ago. Their home was owned by a trust.

Credit: Southern Ohio Regional Jail

Emily Collins, 27, who owns a florist in the local area, was shocked that this was happening “right under our noses” and “nobody was able to help them sooner”. She told NBC News: “It’s just crazy that all the wonderful things going on in our little Hallmark town and this is what puts us on the radar. It’s really sad.”

The two parents and grandparents all appeared in court on Wednesday, and a judge entered not guilty pleas on their behalf. Their bond was set at $300,000 each, and they don’t have lawyers yet.

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Featured image credit: Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson and Southern Ohio Regional Jail