Four people have been arrested after 16 children were found living in "deplorable" conditions and in need of medical treatment in a rural Ohio home, officials said Wednesday.
The children were found during a search of the home in Hamden, 60 miles southeast of Columbus, Ohio, state Attorney General Andy Wilson said at a news conference.
"Conditions you cannot even imagine people being in, let alone children being in," Wilson said.
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The children were removed from the home. Wilson called it the worst scene he had encountered in his career, describing it as "pure evil." Several were in serious condition when found, and two were flown to Level 1 trauma centers because of their injuries.
"If they had waited 24 hours, there is a very high probability that we’d be dealing with a death, or multiple deaths, of these children," Wilson said.
Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain described horrid conditions, saying there was a high presence of feces and bacterial matter.
"Most of the livestock was kept in better condition than the children," Cain said.
The suspects — Gary Siders Sr., Gary Siders Jr., Christina Siders and Elizabeth Siders — were charged with 16 counts of second-degree child endangering. A judge entered not guilty pleas on their behalf during a Wednesday court hearing and set a $300,000 bond for all four.
Officials didn't confirm if the children were related, but said they ranged in age from 18 months to 18 years old and included both boys and girls.
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"Justice will be served for these children," Wilson said.
Vinton County Prosecutor William Archer clarified that the suspects are not originally from Vinton County.
"This is an intra-family situation. This is not human trafficking. There is nothing to put our other children at risk," Archer said.
On Tuesday, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said he was being kept informed on the case.
"It is heartbreaking to learn the conditions that these children were living in, and to learn of their medical conditions," he said. "Attorney General Wilson is an experienced prosecutor, and he has told me he has never seen anything like what he saw today. Fran and I pray for these children, and thank the children's services workers, law enforcement officers, and medical personnel who are helping them."
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