Authorities in Ohio rescued 16 children who had been confined to a single room for roughly four years, officials announced. The children, ranging in age from one and a half to 18 years old, were found living in severely deplorable conditions at a rural home in Hamden, a village with fewer than 1,000 residents located about 80 miles southeast of Columbus.
The children came from the same family and were living in squalor surrounded by human waste and bacteria. Several of them were unable to speak, and one 18-year-old who was developmentally disabled could not even spell her name. Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain described the conditions as worse than those provided to livestock, saying "Just a disgusting scene."
Four family members were arrested and charged. The children's parents and two grandparents—Gary Siders Jr., Gary Siders Sr., Christina Siders, and Elizabeth Siders—each face 16 counts of second-degree felony child endangerment. They were held on bond set at $300,000 each after appearing in court.
Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson discovered the children while executing a search warrant in an unrelated investigation. He described the home as containing "pure evil" and called it the worst scene he had encountered in his career. "We didn't know there were going to be 16 kids there," Wilson said, adding that nearly 24 hours after the discovery he still couldn't rid himself of the smell from the home.
The sheriff indicated the children spent most of their time confined to a room approximately 12 feet by 12 feet. While authorities did not find cages in the house, they did not disclose the specific methods used to keep the children inside. Seven children required hospitalization in Columbus, and two were airlifted by helicopter to level one trauma centers. One child was in critical condition and required intubation.
Vinton County Prosecuting Attorney William Archer characterized this as an "intra-family situation" rather than a human trafficking case. He noted that investigators discovered the family had moved around southern Ohio over the past two decades while avoiding establishing medical and government records. The children were never enrolled in school.
Wilson said the family "were pretty adept at keeping these kids out of sight and away from investigators' eyes," and no one outside the family appeared to know about the children. Neighbors expressed shock upon learning of the situation, with one resident saying he had never seen children at the property during the six years he lived on the street.
The state is seeking temporary custody of all 16 children. They have been removed from the home and placed in protective care while receiving medical and psychological support following their rescue.