Horror as sixteen 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.
Police have discovered 16 children were kept inside a faeces-covered room for four years in an Ohio home.
Although Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson suggested that the shocking scenes 'the type of thing that we're not used to seeing here in America', this is only the latest in a string of chilling crimes against children.
Last year, 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.
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Meanwhile in California, 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.
And sadly it seems as if the 16 children discovered in Ohio yesterday have been living in similarly inhumane conditions, with human waste all around the tiny 12 feet by 12 feet room where they have seemingly spent much of the past four years.
Some of the children discovered 'couldn't even speak', while an 18-year-old who was developmentally disabled wasn't able to even write her own name.
The children's parents and two grandparents, Gary Siders Jr., Gary Siders Sr., Christina Siders and Elizabeth Siders have since been charged with felony child endangerment following the chance discovery, with police and locals unaware of the children's existence since none had been enrolled in schools.
Police searched the property as part of an unrelated investigation, with the family avoiding setting up government and medical records for the children or enrolling them in school.
Wilson added: "Conditions you cannot even imagine people being in, let alone children being in. It was terrible. They looked like almost feral animals."
Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain added: "Most of our livestock was kept in better conditions than the children. Just a disgusting scene."
The children's ages ranged from 18 months to 18 years, and two were in such a severe condition that they were flown to hospital, with one remaining in critical condition.
"Our children deserve better from their parents, guardians, and custodians. No child should endure these kinds of conditions," William Archer, the prosecuting attorney, 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."
All four appeared in court Wednesday where a judge entered not guilty pleas on their behalf and set bond at $300,000 for each.
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.
Topics: True Crime, US News
James Moorhouse