How authorities accidentally discovered 16 Ohio kids living in ‘sickening’ conditions

The 16 children who were found living like “feral animals” in “sickening” conditions at a rural home in Hamden, Ohio, were actually discovered by authorities by accident.

Two parents and two grandparents, Gary Siders Jr, 36, Elizabeth Siders, 33, Gary Siders Sr, 73, Christina Siders, 77, have been arrested and charged with 16 counts of second-degree felony child endangerment after 16 kids aged between one and 18 were confined to one 12-foot room for four years.

Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain, who was one of the first responders, said “livestock are kept in better condition than these children,” and it was a “disgusting scene” with an “extremely high presence of bacteria and human faeces”. All four relatives have pleaded not guilty, and the grandfather, Gary Sr, has been released on medical grounds.

Credit: Southern Ohio Regional Jail

The children were found by accident as police were responding to another unrelated case involving the father, Gary Jr. As reported by The Columbus Dispatch, he is facing four misdemeanour counts of public indecency. According to court records, he has been accused of exposing himself in public on four separate dates in May. A pre-trial hearing is scheduled for 10th July in MacArthur.

Most Read

‘Tried many times’: Elizabeth Siders’ brother speaks out after the 16 Ohio children were rescued

Influencer who shared sinister threats to his life found dead after being brutally tortured

First thing mother said after 16 kids rescued in Ohio shows she’s ‘not evil’, says lawyer

Police got a warrant to search the home in relation to the public indecency case and had no idea they were going to discover 16 children living in “third world” conditions.

“We didn’t know there were going to be 16 kids there. It’s the type of thing that we’re not used to seeing here in America. Pure evil,” Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said, as reported by ABC News. “I didn’t actually go into the room where the kids were; I just looked through the door. That was yesterday. I can still smell it – I can’t get the smell off of me or away from me right now.”

Neighbours had no idea the children existed either, and were just as shocked to find out there were 16 children living right on their doorstep.

For more, like The Tab on Facebook.

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