16 children rescued from ‘deplorable’ conditions in Ohio house; 4 arrested

HAMDEN, Ohio — Authorities in southern Ohio said that 16 children were rescued from “deplorable” conditions in a home in a rural area east of Cincinnati, and four adults are facing charges.

According to the Vinton County Sheriff’s Office, deputies and officers from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation executed a search warrant Tuesday at a home in Hamden

Sixteen children, ranging in age from 18 months to 18 years, were found inside the home, WOWK reported. Several of the children were in serious condition, and two were flown to nearby trauma centers because of the severity of their conditions, WOIO reported.

“I’ve been doing these types of cases for a long time, a big portion of my career dedicated to prosecuting these types of cases,” Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said during a news conference. “This is pure evil what we saw down here today.”

Four people were arrested, WOIO reported. According to online court records, they were identified as Gary Lee Siders Jr., 36; Elizabeth Ann Siders, 33; Christina Lynn Siders, 67; and Gary Lee Siders Sr., 73.

All four suspects are being charged with 17 counts of child endangerment, one for each of the children found and one additional because it involves serious physical harm, WOIO reported.

Wilson said the case did not involve human trafficking, according to WOWK.

“This is a felony of the second degree because it involves serious physical harm,” Vinton County Prosecutor William Archer said during the news conference. “We have 17 counts because we couldn’t even talk to the kids to get names and contact information, so it will eventually only be 16 counts.”

Neighbors were stunned by the conditions.

“It’s horrific,” Daniel Harmon told WSYX. “That’s as nasty — it’s horrific, it really is.”

The suspects were booked into the Southeast Ohio Regional Jail in Nelsonville, court records show.

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