Shock speculation is claiming that Elizabeth Siders, the mother of the children rescued from an Ohio “house of horrors” earlier this month, is currently pregnant.
Authorities discovered the children after attending the property, located in Vinton County, to serve an unrelated warrant for indecent exposure to Gary Siders II. At the home they found 16 children ranging in age from 18 months to 18 years old.
The property itself is alleged to have been in derelict condition, filled with dirt and feces. Attorney General Wilson noted that the house was in such a state of neglect that the children were “literally about to fall through the floor”, while they had suffered such “serious physical harm” that two had to be flown to specialist trauma centres. A further seven were taken to Columbus Hospitals, with one admitted to the ICU and intubated.
The discovery and subsequent removal of the children left the small town of Hamden, Ohio (population 717) reeling in disbelief. Investigators say the family had moved around a lot over the past two decades, while the children were not enrolled in school and were mostly confined to a small room in the house.
A new claim made by popular YouTube channel Law & Crime states that Elizabeth, her husband, Gary Siders Jr., Gary Siders Sr., and Christina Siders were initially charged with 17 counts of child endangerment. That number was then reduced to 16.
“But now that number 16, I’m wondering if that was because Elizabeth Siders is pregnant,” claims the YouTube channel, which boasts some 7.6 million followers.
The channel did not cite any official sources to back up its claim, but the idea that Siders is pregnant became a subject of hot debate in the comments section.
The shock claim comes after Elizabeth’s attorney, Tommy Stolley, shared details of initial conversations with his client following her arrest.
The lawyer told WBNS10 that he believes all the children found at the property are Elizabeth’s and Gary Jr.’s.
According to the attorney, Elizabeth “repeatedly” told him that she and her husband “wanted a big family.”
“She said that kids are a gift from God and that she was open to that,” he added.
He went on to refute claims made in the media that the children were confined to a small room in the squalid house.
“There’s been no evidence to suggest that the children were locked or forced to remain in the 12 by 12 room. I think this is one of the things that’s been really sensationalized by the internet,” he said.
Elizabeth Siders, along with her husband and his parents, now face multiple child endangerment charges and are being held on bonds of $300,000. Each suspect could face a maximum sentence of up to 192 years in prison if convicted of the crimes.
READ MORE
- Lawyer reveals ‘telling’ first thing mom of 16 “feral” children rescued from Ohio home said after arrest
- New details emerge about oldest child in Ohio home where 16 children were left to rot like ‘feral animals’
