Sixteen children found in ‘deplorable’ home were part of same family, Ohio officials say

Sixteen children found in ‘deplorable’ home were part of same family, Ohio officials say Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said the conditions inside the house were ‘almost beyond comprehension’ - Bookmark Sixteen children found living in “deplorable” conditions inside a small, dilapidated rural Ohio home are part of the same family, officials said Wednesday. The Ohio Bureau of Investigation and local sheriff’s department searched the home Tuesday and arrested four adults after finding the children. Some were in dire need of medical treatment, authorities said. The children ranged in age from 1 1/2 years to 18 years old and included both boys and girls. Seven were transported to hospitals in Columbus and two were flown by helicopters. Gary Siders Jr., Gary Siders Sr., Christina Siders and Elizabeth Siders appeared in court Wednesday where a judge entered not guilty pleas on their behalf. They have not yet been assigned lawyers. “I’ve been doing these types of cases for a long time,” Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said. “I spent a big portion of my career dedicated to prosecuting these types of cases. And I can tell you this is pure evil. What we saw down here today is pure evil.” The four adults were charged with second-degree felony child endangering because it involves “serious physical harm,” Vinton County prosecuting attorney William Archer said. Wilson said Wednesday that the conditions inside the house in the tiny village of Hamden were almost indescribable, saying it “really looked third world.” “It’s just almost beyond comprehension,” he said without providing details about what was inside. It appeared that the children spent most of their time in just one room for much of the four years they lived there, Wilson said. The house sits on a road tucked away alongside a steep railroad embankment, where tracks carry rumbling trains through Hamden. On Wednesday, its doors and windows stood open to the 94-degree Fahrenheit (34-degree Celsius) heat. A tangle of discarded children’s items - two busted bicycles, a plastic play table, a beach pail and two infant carriers - stood in a pile in the yard. Hamden has a population of less than 1,000 people and is about 60 miles (97 kilometers) southeast of Columbus. [Image text:] SHERENEDONOCROS SHRUWES SHERIEE CINEDONOTCROSS