Overview
- Deputies executing an indecent‑exposure warrant on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, entered a Hamden, Ohio, house and discovered 16 children living in an approximately 12‑by‑12‑foot room strewn with human waste.
- Seven children were taken to Columbus‑area hospitals after the rescue, including two flown to trauma centers, and all 16 are now in temporary custody of Ohio Job and Family Services.
- Four family members — Gary Siders II, Elizabeth Siders, Gary Siders Sr., and Christina Siders — were arrested, pleaded not guilty, and are held on $300,000 bonds while facing multiple second‑degree child‑endangerment counts.
- Investigators say many of the children show severe developmental and communication impairments and were never enrolled in school, which is slowing efforts to interview them and confirm parentage.
- Officials are executing additional warrants to reconstruct medical, school, and movement records and prosecutors say review of evidence could produce more charges while defense lawyers argue for the presumption of innocence and question some defendants’ competency.