The Ohio couple accused of keeping 16 children in a squalid “house of horrors” are now facing new child sex abuse charges stemming from a separate investigation involving a young relative, according to prosecutors.
A jury in Vinton County delivered the new indictments on Friday — two months after police raided their home in Hamden, Ohio, and discovered the inhumane, feces-covered environment Gary Siders Jr., 37, and Elizabeth Siders, 33, were living in with their family on June 30.
“Law enforcement sought the DNA of Gary Siders Jr. related to the child sex abuse case,” county prosecutors told reporters, adding that serving those search warrants is what unexpectedly led authorities to the house where the 16 children were living.
“Upon serving search warrants for the child sex abuse case, the existing condition of the 16 children at the Ohmer Street house became known,” prosecutors said, adding that “the child sex abuse cases involve interfamily relations and do not pose a risk to the general public.”
The alleged young relative victim of the abuse is not a member of the Siders’ immediate family, according to The Sun.
Elizabeth and Gary reportedly abused a minor more than 10 years younger than them between January and September 2022.
They are charged with two counts of third-degree sexual battery and third-degree felony unlawful sexual conduct with a minor in addition the child endangerment charges.
A separate Hocking County investigation into the abuse of a minor by Josh Saunders, 23, and Brandon Henderson Sr., 40, implicated Gary Jr. and Elizabeth in similar alleged conduct, according to 10WBNS.
“These indictments are the latest developments in the ongoing investigations, but our work is far from complete,” said Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson in a press release.
“BCI is actively investigating these cases alongside the Vinton County Sheriff’s Office, and my office will continue to support Prosecuting Attorney William Archer as the legal process continues.”
Following the discovery of the “house of horrors,” Gary Jr. and Elizabeth were each indicted on 19 counts of child endangerment, including second-degree felonies alleging the children suffered serious physical harm.
Gary Jr.’s parents, Christina Siders, 68, and Gary Siders Sr., 73, face 19 and 16 child endangerment counts, respectively, as prosecutors charge multiple legal theories in the alternative for the conditions inside the home.
Counsel for Elizabeth, Thomas Stolly, wrote in a motion that she “is suffering from mental health issues and that competency may be an issue and a clear impediment to the defendant’s ability to assist in her own defense,” according to FOX8.
The children, ranging in age from 18 months to 18 years, were found living in squalor inside a cramped 12-by-12 room in a scene Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson described as “pure evil.”
The Vinton County Sheriff’s Office and the Vinton County Clerk’s Office did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment and documentation, respectively.
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