16 children rescued from Ohio home looked 'almost feral,' authorities say

By — Julie Carr Smyth, Associated Press Julie Carr Smyth, Associated Press By — John Seewer, Associated Press John Seewer, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/16-children-rescued-from-ohio-home-looked-almost-feral-authorities-say Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter 16 children rescued from Ohio home looked 'almost feral,' authorities say Nation Jul 1, 2026 7:33 PM EDT HAMDEN, Ohio (AP) — Sixteen children from the same family who were rescued from a dilapidated home in rural Ohio were living in wretched conditions with human waste all around, confined to just one room over much of the past four years, authorities said Wednesday. Some of the children discovered Tuesday were unable to speak and one — an 18-year-old who was developmentally disabled — could not even write her name, investigators said. WATCH: During the pandemic, reports of child abuse decreased. Here's why that's concerning "Most of our livestock was kept in better conditions than the children," said Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain. "Just a disgusting scene." The children's parents and two grandparents were charged with felony child endangerment, a prosecutor said. Authorities found the children while carrying out a search warrant in an unrelated investigation, Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said Wednesday at a news conference. Officials said it seemed as if no one outside the family knew about the children, who weren't enrolled in school. "We didn't know there were going to be 16 kids there," said Wilson, who was nearly at a loss for words in describing what officials found in the tiny village of Hamden that sits in one of Ohio's poorest counties. "It's the type of thing that we're not used to seeing here in America," he said. Rescued children looked like 'feral animals' The sheriff said it appears the children spent most of their time in a room that was roughly 12 feet by 12 feet (3.5 meters by 3.5 meters). He didn't disclose how the kids were kept inside the home, but said authorities didn't find any cages in the house. The children ranged in age from 1 1/2 years to 18 years old and included both boys and girls, officials said. Seven were transported to hospitals in Columbus and two were flown by helicopter. One was in critical condition on Tuesday while some of the others were admitted for care, Wilson said. "They looked like almost feral animals," Wilson said. "It was terrible." The children were in temporary custody of the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services. Vinton County prosecuting attorney William Archer said the four adults were charged with second-degree felony child endangering because it involves "serious physical harm." Gary Siders Jr., Gary Siders Sr., Christina Siders and Elizabeth Siders appeared in court Wednesday where a judge entered not guilty pleas on their behalf and set bond at $300,000 for each. They have not yet been assigned lawyers. Steve Irwin, a