Two parents and two grandparents have been charged after 16 children were rescued from “unimaginable” conditions at their southern Ohio home.
Investigators said they found the children in "third world" conditions when they executed the warrants at the residence on Tuesday morning.
“The conditions these children lived in were horrific, and we are sickened by it. Fortunately, this tragic chapter has closed, but their recovery will take time,” Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain said.
"Most of their livestock was kept in better condition than their children,” he added.
The children range in age from 1.5 to 18 years old, and the eldest is developmentally disabled. They are all part of the same family, according to Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson.
The children were taken to local hospitals for medical evaluations and some have since been treated and released. Others were transferred to higher levels of care and remain hospitalized in serious condition.
Investigators also said the Siders family has lived in several Ohio counties since 2008 and believe they avoided creating medical and other government records during that time.
"This case continues to reveal the unimaginable conditions these children were forced to endure," Wilson said. "I said yesterday that what investigators encountered was pure evil, and the evidence we've uncovered since only reinforces that assessment.”
Authorities during the press conference clarified that the case is isolated and not considered a human trafficking situation, adding that the community is safe. Based on the evidence gathered so far, investigators believe the case involves prolonged and severe abuse and neglect within one family.
Each defendant faces 17 counts of endangering children, a second-degree felony. All four suspects remain jailed on $300,000 bond.
The children have been placed in the temporary custody of the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
The case remains an active investigation and there is no ongoing threat to the public.