Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said investigators may have saved multiple lives when they discovered 16 children living in horrifying conditions inside a Vinton County home.
“I think if they would have waited another 24 hours, we would have been dealing with a death or multiple deaths,” Wilson said after meeting with local detectives and Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation agents.
Wilson said he reviewed evidence showing the moment investigators first discovered the children inside the Hamden home.
“I’ve done these types of cases for a long time, and I’ve been to incredibly poverty-stricken areas,” he said. “I’ve never seen anything like what I saw.”
Wilson described the conditions as looking “third world” and said it was beyond comprehension that children could be living that way in the United States.
The children, ranging in age from 18 months to 18 years, were removed from the home on June 30.
Children Confined to Small Area
Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain said investigators found a heavy presence of human waste and dangerous bacteria throughout the home.
He said the floors were in such poor condition that the children were “literally about to fall through” them.
“Livestock has been kept in better conditions than the children,” Cain said.
According to the sheriff, the children appeared to have been kept in an area measuring approximately 12 feet by 12 feet for much of the past four years.
“It was disgusting,” Cain said.
The sheriff said the rescue brought a complicated mix of emotions for the officers involved.
“There’s joy when you realize you’re about to change 16 lives for the better, but it’s hard,” he said.
Some Children Could Not Speak, Read, or Write
Authorities said some of the children had extremely limited communication skills.
When officers and medical workers attempted to speak with them, some children reportedly did not know how to talk, read, or write.
Cain said those communication difficulties have made the investigation more challenging.
Wilson said neighbors had apparently seen few, if any, signs that children were living inside the residence.
“The evidence shows these folks were good at hiding these kids,” Wilson said. “Part of the reason is they knew that they were neglected. They were adept at keeping them out of sight.”
He said investigators only discovered the children because officers entered the home while serving a search warrant connected to a separate investigation.
Vinton County Prosecutor William Archer described it as a parallel investigation that unexpectedly led authorities to the house and the children.
Officials did not disclose the nature of that other investigation.
One Child Was Intubated
Wilson said the children were taken to hospitals throughout Ohio for examinations and treatment.
As of Wednesday morning, some had been examined and released, while others remained hospitalized in Columbus.
Wilson said one child had been admitted to an intensive care unit and had been intubated at one point.
He said he did not yet know how many children remained hospitalized.
The process is underway to place the children in the temporary custody of Vinton County Job and Family Services.
State officials have offered assistance in finding safe placements for all 16 children.
Officials Say Case Was Confined to One Family
Authorities stressed that the case does not appear to involve human trafficking or an outside predator targeting children in the community.
The four people arrested are members of the same family and were identified as the children’s grandmother, grandfather, mother, and father.
“This is isolated to a familial event,” Wilson said. “Citizens don’t have to worry about their kids being part of this or that there’s somebody out there doing harm to their kids.”
Investigators said the family had ties to Gallia County and may have previously lived in Pike or Jackson County. Authorities believe they had lived in Vinton County for approximately four years.
Four Plead Not Guilty
The four defendants are:
- Gary Siders Sr.
- Gary Siders Jr.
- Christina Siders
- Elizabeth Siders
Each appeared virtually in court Wednesday morning and pleaded not guilty to 16 counts of endangering children, all second-degree felonies.
They had initially faced 17 counts, but the charges were amended to 16 counts during the court proceedings.
Judge Laila Fetherolf Rogers set bond at $300,000 for each defendant.
Should any of them post bond, they would be required to wear GPS monitors and would be prohibited from contacting one another or any of the children.
“The Worst Case I’ve Ever Seen”
Wilson struggled to describe the evidence he had reviewed and at one point asked Sheriff Cain to take over the press conference.
He said the sights and smell inside the home remained with him after he left.
“I can’t get the smell of that house out of my mind,” Wilson said.
The attorney general credited local deputies and BCI agents with acting quickly enough to prevent the conditions from turning deadly.
He said analysts and computer-forensics specialists have also been assigned to assist with the investigation.
The case remains active, and authorities said additional evidence and allegations will be fully investigated.
The charges are allegations. All four defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
