Forensic psychologist shares who may be 'responsible for abuse' after 16 kids discovered like 'feral animals'
Warning: This article contains discussion of child abuse which some readers may find distressing.
As more shocking details continue to emerge from the House of Horrors case in Ohio, a forensic psychologist has explained who might be truly responsible for the children's abuse.
It's been several weeks since the Siders family were first arrested and charged after emergency services discovered 16 children living in awful conditions inside their Vinton County home.
Although we are yet to see inside the home, police have revealed that the children were surrounded by human faeces and are likely to have spent much of the last four years in an incredibly cramped room, with officers suggesting that livestock are often kept in better circumstances, while the oldest child reportedly couldn't even write her own name.
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Four adults, Gary Siders Jr., his wife Elizabeth, 33, and his parents Gary Siders Sr., 73, and Christine, 67, were all arrested and are now each facing 16 counts of child endangerment.
Concern has been raised for Elizabeth given she was married when she was just 15 and has spent much of the past two decades having children, and now forensic psychologist John Delatorre has explained why the older family members might be the ones who were truly responsible for the abuse.
Speaking to WSYX ABC 6, he suggested that officials should look closely at Gary Sr and Christine, as in cases of long-term abuse, it is likely that the abusive behaviours may have began with the older family members.
He explained: "The ways in which this thing gets covered up requires planning, right? It requires a sophistication in being able to avoid what would be positive resources, but also law enforcement."
"And I think, when we think of who has those capabilities, it's usually someone who's been doing it for a long period of time. It's not someone who is, you know, relatively young," he claimed.
"So we're looking at the grandparents essentially, right? The elder Siders and his (Gary Jr's) wife as essentially being the catalyst for how these abuses could, number one, begin, but also kind of maintain," Delatorre concluded.
While Gary Sr has since been released on bail following a medical episode, all four family members are expected to appear in court in the near future, after a judge entered not guilty pleas on their behalf.
None of the 16 children had been registered in school and a significant sum of money is likely to be required in order to give them loving homes in the future, with a firefighter previously admitting that the most haunting thing was the lack of conversation from the children after they were rescued.
Sadly, this isn't the only case of this type from the US in recent years, as another young man escaped similar conditions after being held captive by his stepmother in a tiny room for over 20 years.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000, 10am-8pm Monday to Friday. If you are a child seeking advice and support, call Childline for free on 0800 1111, 24/7.
A timeline of the allegations against the Siders family
31 March 2008
Gary Siders Jr, 18, and Elizabeth Siders, 15, are married in Mason County, West Virginia with the consent of Elizabeth’s parents. Marital records indicate Elizabeth's education topped at eighth grade, while Gary Siders Jr. left school after completing ninth grade.
30 May 2008
The couple’s eldest child is born. More children are born in 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2022 (twins), 2024 (twins), and 2025.
2021
The superintendent of the Gallia County Local Schools in southeast Ohio told WSAZ3 there are records from this year showing Gary Jr. and Elizabeth were parents with a local school at the time.
Court records obtained by the Columbus Dispatch reveal that Gallia County Juvenile Court filed six truancy complaints against Gary Siders Jr. and Elizabeth Siders for failing to send their children to school.
2022
Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said the Siders family moved to Vinton County, again in southeast Ohio, around this time.
10 November 2022
Elizabeth Siders prematurely delivers conjoined twins, who die an hour after they are born. Named Faith Lee and Bailey Lee Siders, they were joined at the chest, face-to-face, according to birth certificates obtained by WCMH.
23, 27, 29 and 31 May 2026
Court records show Gary Siders Jr. is accused of exposing himself on four separate occasions on these dates, WOWK reports.
30 June 2026
An arrest warrant is issued for Gary Siders Jr related to four alleged counts of public indecency.
Police attend the Siders’ home in relation to this investigation and find 16 children living in what police describe as deplorable conditions.
Authorities claim the children were confined to a 12-foot by 12-foot space for four years.
Gary Siders Sr, 73, Christina Siders, 67, Gary Siders Jr, 36, and Elizabeth Siders, 33, are arrested and charged with 16 counts of endangering children, second-degree felonies. All have since entered not guilty pleas.
3 July 2026
In an interview with WSYX ABC 6, Elizabeth Siders’ lawyer Thomas Stolly said on meeting his client for the first time: “I met a woman who was timid and who was exhausted. It looked like she had been crying quite a bit. She looked distraught.”
When asked if Elizabeth is also a victim in the case, he says: “I don’t think she would classify herself as a victim.”
He says the initial coverage of conditions at the Siders’ home is ‘not the whole story’.
7 July 2026
All four of the defendants waive their right to a preliminary hearing, meaning the case will now go before a grand jury.
They will decide whether to indict the four accused family members.
On the same day, Gary Sr.’s legal team ask for his $300,000 bail to be waived. They argue it is excessive, saying the 73-year-old has ‘significant health issues’ and ‘very limited mobility’, and doesn’t have the capacity to post any bail money.
His lawyer, Dorian Keith Baum, says Gary Sr. ‘has denied any and all allegations against him’ and has ‘a vested interest… to clear his name’.
Baum also says he has concerns about Gary Sr’s competency to stand trial.
That day, Gary Sr. is transported to OhioHealth O’Bleness Hospital in Athens. If released from hospital, he will be required to wear a GPS monitor. His bond is changed to a recognizance bond, which means he doesn’t have to pay the money upfront.
8 July 2026
Vinton County prosecutor William Archer Jr. tells press that Gary Sr. 'has a serious medical condition that requires specialised care' that would 'potentially bankrupt Vinton County' if he'd remained in jail and the county had to pay for his care. Removing the 16 children from the Siders' home more than doubled the number of children in temporary care in Vinton County, putting further financial strain on local authorities.
Topics: True Crime, US News
James Moorhouse