Inside the Ohio House of Horrors: Disturbing Secrets Behind 16 Children Living in Squalor Uncovered

Deputies with the Vinton County Sheriff’s Office were performing a court-authorized search of a home as part of an ongoing investigation involving allegations of domestic abuse and child neglect when they came upon the horrific sight.

“Conditions you cannot even imagine people being in, let alone children being in,” Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said. “It was terrible. They looked like almost feral animals.”

Some of the children were unable to speak. One, an 18-year-old who was developmentally disabled, could not even write her name, investigators said.

“Most of our livestock was kept in better conditions than the children,” said Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain. “Just a disgusting scene.”

Two parents and two grandparents were each charged with 16 counts of endangering children, a second-degree felony. The suspects were identified as Gary Siders Jr., Gary Siders Sr., Christina Siders and Elizabeth Siders.

The home was in the tiny town of Hamden, which has a population of less than 1,000 people and is about 60 miles southeast of Columbus. Authorities said the children were kept in an area measuring approximately 12 feet by 12 feet.

Each of the rescued children were medically evaluated, and found to have been “abused and suffered serious physical harm,” according to the complaint.

“In what I’ve seen up to this point, I think if they would have waited another 24 hours, there was a very high probability that we’d be dealing with a death or multiple deaths of these children,” Wilson said.

Officials revealed the family has lived in multiple Ohio counties since 2008, and largely avoided establishing medical and other government records during that time. It was also unclear whether the children received any education.

“The conditions these children lived in were horrific, and we are sickened by it. Fortunately, this tragic chapter has closed, but their recovery will take time,” Cain added. “Our investigators will continue following the evidence wherever it leads.”

Terri Siders, a relative of the family, told NBC News that she had not heard from the family in at least eight years.

“I knew little Gary had kids, yeah. I don’t remember meeting any of the kids, though,” she said. “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.”

The four adults were arraigned in the Vinton County Court of Common Pleas on Wednesday morning, where a judge entered not guilty pleas on their behalf. They remain in jail on a $300,000 bond.

The children were in temporary custody of the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services.