Sixteen children rescued from Ohio home, four adults charged

Sixteen children from the same family were rescued from a dilapidated home in rural Ohio on Tuesday, June 30, after authorities discovered them living in what officials described as wretched, third-world conditions. Four adults, identified as Gary Siders Jr., Gary Siders Sr., Christina Siders, and Elizabeth Siders, were arrested and charged with felony child endangerment.

The children, ranging in age from 1.5 to 18 years old and including both boys and girls, were found in a small house in the village of Hamden. Officials said the children had been confined primarily to a single 12-foot-by-12-foot room for much of the past four years, with human waste present throughout the home. Some of the children were unable to speak, and one 18-year-old with developmental disabilities could not write her name.

Authorities discovered the children while executing an unrelated search warrant. Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said investigators were shocked by the scene, stating the conditions were almost beyond comprehension and that the children looked like almost feral animals. Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain said most livestock was kept in better conditions.