Ohio Rescues 16 Children From Neglected Home; Four Family Members Charged With Child Endangerment

Authorities in Ohio rescued 16 children from a dilapidated home in the rural village of Hamden after discovering they had allegedly been confined to a single room in "deplorable conditions" for much of the past four years.

The children, all from the same family, ranged in age from one-and-a-half to 18 years. Officials said they were living amid human waste and severe neglect. Some were unable to speak, while an 18-year-old with developmental disabilities could not spell her own name.

"Most of our livestock was kept in better conditions than the children," Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain said at a news conference, describing the home as having a high presence of bacteria and human faeces, The Guardian reports.

"Just a disgusting scene," he said.

Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said authorities found the children while executing a search warrant in an unrelated investigation.

"We didn’t know there were going to be 16 kids there," Wilson said, describing what he witnessed as "pure evil".

Wilson called it the worst case he had encountered in his career.

"It’s the type of thing that we’re not used to seeing here in America," Wilson said, adding that nearly 24 hours later he still "can’t get the smell off of me".

Four family members charged

The children's parents and two grandparents, identified as Gary Siders Jr, Gary Siders Sr, Christina Siders and Elizabeth Siders, have each been charged with 16 counts of second-degree felony child endangerment involving "serious physical harm", Vinton County Prosecuting Attorney William Archer said.

Archer stressed that the investigation was not a human trafficking case but an "intra-family situation".

Cain said investigators believe the children spent most of their time in a room measuring about 12 ft by 12 ft. Although no cages were found inside the house, he did not disclose how the children were confined.

Seven children were taken to hospitals in Columbus, while two were airlifted by helicopter to level one trauma centres. Wilson said one child was in critical condition on Tuesday and had to be intubated.

"They looked like almost feral animals," he said. "It was terrible."

The four adults appeared in court on Wednesday, where a judge entered not guilty pleas on their behalf and set bond at $300,000 each.

Neighbours unaware children lived at home

Investigators said the family had moved around southern Ohio over the past two decades and appeared to have avoided creating medical and government records. None of the children was 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 knew the children existed.

Residents of Hamden, a village of fewer than 1,000 people about 80 miles south-east of Columbus, said they had never seen the children.

Joseph Stewart, 60, told the Associated Press he saw "no kids at all" after the family moved into the neighbourhood.

"It’s a sad situation," he said, describing the area as "a quiet neighbourhood".

Another neighbour, Petey Angels, 64, told the Columbus Dispatch he was shocked by the allegations and had never seen children near the house.

"Nothing happens here," Angels said of Hamden. "It’s something you wouldn’t expect in this village."

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Archer said the state was seeking temporary custody of all 16 children.

"Justice will be served for these children," Wilson said.