16 children were rescued from an apparent house of horrors last week in Ohio. Their parents and grandparents were charged with multiple counts of child endangerment. Now, a judge has issued a warning to the defendants.
During a news conference, Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said the conditions inside the house where the children were discovered were ones “you cannot even imagine people being in, let alone children being in.”
On June 30, police searched a home in Vinton County, Ohio, where they discovered 16 children, ranging in age from 18 months to 18 years, allegedly living in conditions investigators described as “deplorable.”
“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,” Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain said in a statement shared on Facebook.
Four adults have been charged with child endangerment
Wilson described them as “almost feral,” and some of the children had suffered serious injuries. Two of the children were airlifted to specialist trauma centers because of their injuries, while seven others were taken to hospitals. One child was admitted to the ICU and placed on a ventilator. Authorities described the scene as “pure evil”.
The four adults – Gary Siders Sr., Gary Siders Jr., Christina Siders, and Elizabeth Siders – have all been charged with 17 counts of child endangerment.
At the court hearing on July 1, all four adults entered not guilty pleas. In response, Vinton County’s Judge Laina Fetherolf Rogers warned: “They [prosecutors] are asking that you have no contact with your co-defendants – that means each other. I presume the jail will keep you from having contact with the other two co-defendants if you remain in jail,” according to the Associated Press.
“No contact with the alleged victims of the offence; and if you are released, that you be fitted with a GPS monitor at state’s expense.”
Could face prison
She continued: “You have four pleas available to you. A plea of guilty is a complete admission of your guilt. A not guilty plea is a complete denial of your guilt. A no contest plea is not an admission of guilt, but is an admission to the facts that underlie the complaint.
“If you plead no contest, the state would give me a statement of facts, and it would be up to the court to determine whether or not you were guilty of the charged offences based on those facts.”
As the investigation continues, an attorney representing Gary Siders Sr. is urging the public to step back and allow investigators to do their jobs.
Dorian Baum told the Associated Press: “We ask that the community at large, as well as anyone who might have an interest in this case, to take a deep breath, step back, and let the case play out, and the facts play out.”
Their bods are set at $300,000, and each charge could land a prison sentence between two to eight years. If all of them are found guilty on every count, they could potentially face 192 years in prison individually, according to VT.
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