Children found in deplorable Ohio home are part of same family

Sixteen children from the same family who were rescued from a dilapidated home in rural Ohio were living in wretched conditions with human waste all around, confined to just one room over much of the past four years, authorities said Wednesday.Some of the children discovered Tuesday were unable to speak and one — an 18 year-old who was developmentally disabled — could not even write her name, investigators said.“Most of our livestock was kept in better conditions than the children,” said Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain.“Just a disgusting scene.”Authorities have charged four adults with felony child endangerment.

They emphasized this was not a case of human trafficking and instead involved one family.Authorities found the children while carrying out a search warrant for an unrelated investigation, Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said Wednesday at a news conference.“We didn’t know there were going to be 16 kids there,” said Wilson, who was nearly at a loss for words in describing what they found in the tiny village of Hamden that sits in one of Ohio’s poorest counties.“It’s the type of thing that we’re not used to seeing here in America, he said.The sheriff said it appears the children spent most of their time in a room that was roughly 12 feet by 12 feet (3.5 meters by 3.5 meters).He said they didn’t find any cages in the house.The children ranged in age from 1 1/2 years to 18 years old and included both boys and girls, officials said.

Seven were transported to hospitals in Columbus and two were flown by helicopters.One was in critical condition on Tuesday, Wilson said.“They looked like almost feral animals,” Wilson said.

“It was terrible.”Vinton County prosecuting attorney William Archer said the four adults were charged with second-degree felony child endangering because it involves “serious physical harm.”Gary Siders Jr., Gary Siders Sr., Christina Siders and Elizabeth Siders appeared in court Wednesday where a judge ...