Four people were arrested and charged with multiple counts of felony child endangerment following the execution of a search warrant early Tuesday afternoon at a home in Vinton County in southeast Ohio.
“The scene is horrific and these are horrific allegations,” Sheriff Ryan Cain said at a news conference Tuesday evening.
Sixteen children ranging in age from one and a half to 18 years were rescued from the home and taken to hospitals for treatment. Several of the children were in serious condition, and two of them were care flighted to level one trauma centers, Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said at the news conference.
“This is pure evil,” Wilson said. “What we saw down here today is pure evil.”
Law enforcement would not elaborate on the details of the case because of the ongoing investigation. Wilson did say this is not a case of human trafficking to dispel any rumors that might be circulating.
The search warrant was the result of an investigation that began a while ago. The four arrested were Gary Siders Sr., Gary Siders Jr., Christina Siders and Elizabeth Siders. They were living at 182 Ohmer St. in the village of Hamden. They are scheduled for arraignment Wednesday morning in Vinton County Court of Common Pleas.
Hamden is around 120 miles east of Cincinnati.
Vinton County Prosecutor William Archer said the four are not from Vinton County and have been traveling.
Wilson said at the news conference that a secondary search warrant was under way but that conditions at the house were so bad that it might not be safe for law enforcement to access all areas.
“Conditions you cannot even imagine people being in, let alone children,” he said.
Gov. Mike DeWine issued a statement Tuesday night.
"It is heartbreaking to learn the conditions that these children were living in, and to learn of their medical conditions. Attorney General Wilson is an experienced prosecutor and he has told me he has never seen anything like what he saw today. Fran and I pray for these children, and thank the children's services workers, law enforcement officers, and medical personnel who are helping them."
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