First responder recalls horror details as sixteen children discovered living in 'conditions you cannot even imagine'

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

Officials involved in the rescue of 16 children from a squalid home in Ohio have spoken out about the 'disgusting' conditions they were living in.

More than half a dozen youngsters, whose ages range from 18 months to 18 years, were discovered living inside a 12ft by 12ft room, which authorities believe they have spent the last four years trapped in.

Their parents and two grandparents - Gary Siders Jr., 36, Gary Siders Sr., 73, Christina Siders, 67, and Elizabeth Siders, 33 - have since been charged with felony child endangerment.

Officials said they found the children living in 'deplorable' conditions at the rural home in Vinton County and many were in need of urgent medical attention.

Officials attended the home on Tuesday (WSYX)

'They looked like almost feral animals'

Police attended the home as part of an unrelated investigation before encountering the horror scene on Tuesday (30 June).

The children had not been enrolled in school and some are reportedly unable to speak.

Some of them have 'limited' speech, while others are unable to communicate at all, Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain said.

He told a news conference that 'most of our livestock was kept in better conditions than the children', while Ohio's attorney general Andy Wilson described what he witnessed as 'pure evil'.

Wilson said the scene was 'almost beyond comprehension', while stating that he still could not get the smell of the property 'away from him' 24 hours later.

"Conditions you cannot even imagine people being in, let alone children being in," the attorney general added. "It was terrible. They looked like almost feral animals."

Elizabeth Siders and Gary Siders Jr. were arrested at the home earlier this week (Southeast Ohio Jail)

'Blank expressions'

Another first responder who reported to the scene spoke of how four of the children, who he later ferried to hospital were 'frightened and quiet' during the 20-minute journey.

Describing what he claims to have seen inside, the acting fire public information officer said as per ABC6: "Cockroaches, and stuff like that.

"Bugs just in general and the conditions, you know, bugs get on the children and stuff and they scratch, and they bite and all that stuff.

"So, their condition wasn't the greatest. It was just quiet. Blank expressions."

Gary Siders Sr. and Christina Siders are also being held on $300,000 bonds (Southeast Ohio Jail)

The family avoided setting up government and medical records for the children, police said.

"They were pretty adept at keeping these kids out of sight and away from investigators’ eyes," Wilson went on.

Meanwhile, prosecuting attorney William Archer said: "My office will do everything in our power to make sure these children get the love and care they deserve.

"My office will prosecute these persons to the fullest extent of the law."

The rural home was described as 'disgusting' by investigators (Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson)

'A sad situation'

All four suspects appeared in court Wednesday, where a judge entered not guilty pleas on their behalf and set bond at $300,000 for each.

A relative of the family spoke out in the wake of the arrests of the four Siders, saying they had no idea that there were that many children living in the home.

While neighbour Joseph Stewart, who has lived on the street for six years, claimed he'd seen 'no kids at all' since the family moved in, telling the Associated Press it's 'a sad situation'.

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.