Officials say kids could have died in ‘horrific’ Vinton County home

Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said that if 16 children found in a Vinton County home June 30 were rescued even 24 hours later, the case could have been fatal.

At a noon press conference July 1 at the University of Rio Grande McArthur Center, Wilson called the case “beyond comprehension” but declined to share specifics about the children’s condition.

Vinton County Prosecutor William Archer said the situation involved a multigenerational family and there was not a risk to children in the community.

“This is an intra-family situation. This is not human trafficking,” Archer said.

Wilson said he reviewed evidence with Vinton County Sheriff’s detectives and investigators from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. He said visited the home the night before, after the children were removed but reviewed detailed records about when authorities found them.

“I have never seen anything like I saw today,” Wilson said. “It really looked third world. It is not something we are used to seeing in America.”

On June 30, authorities rescued 16 children, ranging from about 18 months old to 18, from a home on the 100 block of Ohmer Street in Hamden, a small village in Clinton Township, after state and local police searched the home.

Several of the children were in serious condition, and at least one medical helicopter flew two to Level 1 trauma centers. Wilson said July 1 that medical staff examined some of the kids and released them the previous night.

Some continue to receive medical care, and the county is seeking to place all in temporary homes, Wilson said.

“Their physical condition is our number one priority, but we also have to be concerned with their emotional wellbeing,” Wilson said.

Wilson said the family had been in Vinton County for about four years. It appears to have ties to Gallia County and may have also spent time in Pike and Jackson counties and in Wisconsin. He called on anyone with information about the family to come forward.

Wilson said an investigation into another matter uncovered concerns about the children. That parallel investigation had been going on for about a month or six weeks when the children were rescued. He would not provide further details about that case but said more charges could be coming.

Officials describe home where children were found

Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain said there was feces at the home, and it was likely contaminated with significant bacteria.

“It was just a disgusting scene,” Cain said.

Wilson said when he visited the home, he did not enter the room where the children were kept, but the smell struck him.

“I cannot get the smell off of me, or away from me, now,” Wilson said.

The kids were not enrolled in school and were not involved in public life, Wilson said.

“They were hiding these kids,” Wilson said. “They knew these kids were neglected. They knew if anyone knew what was going on, those kids would have been taken away from them.”

Authorities declined to say whether the children were sexually abused. They would not share specifics about who their parents are but said there was no evidence that any of them had been born inside the home. They said the household appeared to consist of a grandfather, a grandmother, a mother, a father and kids.

Though officials have repeatedly described the 16 rescued from the home as children, one of them was 18. Wilson said that is because the 18-year-old appears to have developmental disabilities.

Wilson said some of the children could not speak, and it is not clear whether they can read or write.

“This is very… it was heavy,” Wilson said. “They look almost feral. It was terrible. So reading and writing and education, we’re talking a whole ‘nother level of expectations here.”

Officials are still looking into whether anyone reported the situation to children’s services before they were found.

Vinton County suspects arraigned July 1

Gary Siders Jr., Gary Siders Sr., Christina Siders and Elizabeth Siders were each arrested and charged with 16 counts of felony child endangerment. They appeared by video from the Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail at a July 1 arraignment.

Vinton County Common Pleas Judge Laina Fetheroff set bond for each at $300,000 and entered not guilty pleas on behalf of all four until they could speak to attorneys.

Anyone with information about the family can contact the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at 855-224-6446.

Public safety and breaking news reporter Bailey Gallion can be reached at [email protected].