Sixteen children who ‘looked like feral animals’ were rescued from a tiny dilapidated house of horrors in Ohio, as four adults face charges, according to police.
The gruesome discovery was made by the Vinton County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday morning after executing a search warrant as part of an ongoing investigation.
Law enforcement encountered a horrific scene inside that home that was simply described as ‘pure evil,’ according to Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson.
‘Conditions you cannot even imagine people being in, let alone children being in,’ Wilson said.
Some of the children found ‘couldn’t even speak,’ he revealed.
‘It was terrible. They looked like almost feral animals. It was terrible,’ he said.
Two parents and grandparents were each charged with 17 counts of endangering children, a second-degree felony.
The suspects were identified as Gary Siders Jr, Gary Siders Sr, Christina Siders and Elizabeth Siders.
The home was in the tiny town of Hamden, which has a population of less than 1,000 people and is about 60 miles southeast of Columbus.
Felony charges were filed by the DA’s office because the parents and grandparents were responsible for causing ‘serious physical harm,’ according to prosecuting attorney William Archer.
Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain echoed a similar sentiment at a news conference, describing the home as being littered with human feces and a small room where investigators believe the children were kept for nearly four years.
‘Most of our livestock was kept in better conditions than the children,’ Cain added.
The children ranged in age from 18 months to 18 years and included both boys and girls, officials said.
Several were in serious condition when found, and two had to be flown to level one trauma centers because of their injuries.
When asked about their emotional state at a press conference, Wilson said that investigators’ primary concern upon arrival was getting the children to a hospital due to the extent of their medical conditions.
Officials did not confirm how all the children were related, but said it was not a human trafficking situation.
Authorities added that the four arrested were not locals and appeared to have been traveling.
‘Our children deserve better from their parents, guardians, and custodians. No child should endure these kinds of conditions,’ Archer, the prosecuting attorney, said.
‘My office will do everything in our power to make sure these children get the love and care they deserve. My office will prosecute these persons to the fullest extent of the law.’
Terri Siders, a relative of the family, told NBC News that she had not heard from the family in at least eight years.
‘I knew little Gary had kids, yeah. I don’t remember meeting any of the kids, though,’ she said.
‘I knew they had a lot of kids through family talking years ago, but there’s no way I thought they had that many kids.’
The four were arraigned in the Vinton County Court of Common Pleas on Wednesday morning and remain in jail on a $300,000 bond.
Investigators said in an update that they now believe the Siders have lived in multiple Ohio counties since 2008 and have avoided establishing medical or government records.
