Relative speaks out after 16 children discovered like 'feral animals' living in 'conditions you cannot even imagine'
Warning: This article contains discussion of child abuse which some readers may find distressing.
A relative of the Siders family has revealed she has never met any of the 16 children who were found to be living in inhumane conditions in Ohio.
The latest chilling crime against children in the United States of America came to light on Wednesday, July 1, after the children were discovered living in a 12 feet by 12 feet room surrounded by human waste.
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It appears the children, which are aged from 18 months to 18 years old, had lived in the conditions for most of the past four years.
Two were in such a severe state upon discovery that they were flown to hospital, where one is still in a critical condition.
The children's parents and two grandparents - Gary Siders Jr., Gary Siders Sr., Christina Siders and Elizabeth Siders - have been charged with felony child endangerment following the discovery.
Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said: "Conditions you cannot even imagine people being in, let alone children being in. It was terrible. They looked like almost feral animals."
Siders family member breaks silence after 16 children found
Now Tessi Siders, a relative of the family, has revealed she hasn't seen the family in eight years.
“I knew little Gary had kids, yeah. I don’t remember meeting any of the kids, though,” she told NBC.
“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.”
She also revealed she had only met the mother of the children once.
Police and locals were unaware of the children's' existence as none had been enrolled in schools, and they were only discovered by chance.
Wilson said the family was 'pretty good at hiding these kids' after reportedly moving around Ohio before settling in Vinton County around four years ago.
“Some of these children couldn’t even speak,” he continued, while an 18-year-old who was developmentally disabled wasn't able to write her own name.
After describing the way the children were treated as 'pure evil', Wilson vowed that: “Justice will be served for these children."
Though Wilson claimed the crime was 'the type of thing that we're not used to seeing here in America,' it actually comes amid a spate of further disgusting treatment of children.
In 2025, a woman was arrested in Connecticut for keeping her stepson captive in a 'house of horrors' for 20 years before he finally managed to escape, while David and Louise Turpin were sentenced to life in prison for the horrific abuse they subjected 12 of their children to.
Another instance in Texas saw a woman arrested after her neighbour discovered that the woman she was supposed to be caring for had been locked inside a cage like an animal.
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.
Daniel Murphy