Firefighter who drove 16 ‘feral' children to hospital shares haunting thing that’s stayed with him

Warning: This article contains discussion of child abuse which some readers may find distressing.

After the news of 16 children living in horrifically inhumane conditions came out of Ohio last week, the firefighter who found them has spoken out on what shocked him the most.

Emergency services were left in disbelief after discovering the children living in a tiny 12 feet by 12 feet room, covered in human faeces, where they have seemingly spent much of the past four years.

Some of the children were unable to talk and they were quickly transported to hospital, while the children's parents and two grandparents, Gary Siders Jr., Gary Siders Sr., Christina Siders and Elizabeth Siders have also since been charged with felony child endangerment.

Although officials had alluded to the awful conditions inside the house, with Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson suggesting they 'looked like almost feral animals', a firefighter on the scene has now explained more about what they found.

Describing the home to Criminally Obsessed, Captain Jeremiah Griffith said: “You can see the cockroaches and stuff like that, bugs in general. Bugs get on the children and scratch and bite, so their condition wasn’t the greatest. As far as the smell, it’s just a certain type of smell. It’s not very pleasant.

“Typically, I wear a mask if I endure those kind of conditions to kind of helps cover that up because it’s awful. It sticks with you. It sticks on your clothes and you can smell it for hours afterwards until you can go and change. Our livestock around here live in better conditions.”

Gary Siders Jr. and and Elizabeth Siders (Southeast Ohio Jail)

Griffith was one of the first five people at the scene and he took it upon himself to quickly take the children to hospital, since they 'were clearly not in the greatest shape'.

However, the most 'haunting' memory for the Hamden Fire Department captain wasn't there physical condition, but simply how quiet they were as he rushed them to get medical care.

He added: “It was just quiet. That’s what it was. Blank expressions. Of course they were scared. They’ve never endured anything like that before.

"They didn’t know where they were going. They didn’t speak to me. I tried to have limited contact unless I was asked to help with the children.”

Officials also suggested that this is 'the type of thing that we're not used to seeing here in America' but there have been tragically similar cases in recent years, with children kept in a 'house of horrors'.

(Southeast Ohio Jail)

Griffith concluded: “This one just caught us by surprise really, because we didn’t really expect [it]. This house didn’t even look like anyone was living in it. It was a situation we’re not used to dealing with.”

The children, who ranged between 18 months and 18 years, weren't even known to the county due to their lack of documentation and time in education.

All four of the charged guardians have entered not guilty pleas, while the grandfather was also released and rushed to hospital himself following a 'medical emergency'.

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.