Police discover 16 children living in 'deplorable conditions' after being confined to room for 4 years
Sixteen children have been rescued from a home in rural Ohio after being found living in what officials have described as 'deplorable' and 'pure evil' conditions.
The children, who authorities said are all from the same family, ranged in age from just one and a half to 18 years old, and included both boys and girls.
Some were reportedly unable to speak, while one 18-year-old, who officials said was developmentally disabled, could not even spell her own name.
Authorities stumbled upon the children while executing a search warrant as part of an unrelated investigation at the property in Hamden, a small village of fewer than 1,000 people around 80 miles south-east of Columbus.
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“It is heartbreaking to learn the conditions that these children were living in, and to learn of their medical conditions," Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said at a news conference, describing the scene inside the home as the worst he had encountered in his entire career, adding that the people involved were 'pure evil'.
What conditions were the children found in?
Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain said the children appeared to have spent much of the past four years confined largely to a single room, roughly 12ft by 12ft, inside the property.
He said human waste was found throughout the home, along with a high presence of bacteria.
"Most of our livestock was kept in better conditions than the children," Cain said, calling it 'just a disgusting scene, conditions you cannot even imagine people being in, let alone children living in'.
Wilson said that even nearly 24 hours after the discovery, he still couldn't 'get the smell off' of him, and described the children as looking 'like almost feral animals'.
Seven of the children were taken to hospitals in Columbus, while two were flown to level one trauma centres by helicopter after officials said their conditions were especially severe.
One child was reported to be in critical condition and had to be intubated. All 16 children are said to be undergoing further medical evaluation.
Who has been charged over the Ohio child endangerment case?
Four adults, named as Gary Siders Jr, Gary Siders Sr, Christina Siders and Elizabeth Siders, have been taken into custody in connection with the case, per First Alert 6.
Vinton County Prosecuting Attorney William Archer said each has been charged with 16 counts of second-degree felony child endangerment, with the charges reflecting 'serious physical harm' caused to the children.
Archer confirmed the case is not being treated as human trafficking, describing it instead as an 'intra-family situation'.
All four appeared in court, where a judge entered not guilty pleas on their behalf and set bond at $300,000 each.
Investigators said the family appeared to have moved around southern Ohio over the past two decades, seemingly avoiding setting up medical or government records for the children, none of whom were enrolled in school.
"They were pretty adept at keeping these kids out of sight and away from investigators' eyes," Wilson said, adding that it appeared no one outside the family had known about the children's existence.
"It's a sad situation"
Speaking to First Alert 6, neighbours in Hamden said they had no idea children were living at the property. Joseph Stewart, 60, who has lived on the street for six years, told the Associated Press he'd seen 'no kids at all' since the family moved in, calling it 'a sad situation'.
Another neighbour, Petey Angels, 64, said he was shocked by the allegations, telling the Columbus Dispatch: "Nothing happens here. It's something you wouldn't expect in this village."
Archer confirmed the state is seeking temporary custody of all 16 children. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine has also weighed in, saying in a statement that he had been in contact with the sheriff's office and pledging continued support from the state's children's services department in the days ahead.
UNILAD has contacted the Vinton County Sheriff's Office for comment.
Thomas Bamford