In the small town of Hamden, Ohio, police during a search found sixteen children between the ages of 0 and 18 (the youngest by a few months) locked in a 100-square-foot room.

 

 

#child_abuse_is_a_crime

 In the small town of Hamden, Ohio, police during a search found sixteen children between the ages of 0 and 18 (the youngest by a few months) locked in a 100-square-foot room.

 

 The house was in appalling conditions, and the children were confined in a space flooded with feces. State Attorney Andy Wilson reported that they resembled "wild animals," almost completely incapable of speech or communication, having never had the opportunity to attend school. The children's alleged parents and grandparents, Gary Siders Sr., Gary Siders Jr., Christina Siders, and Elizabeth Siders, were arrested and charged with 16 counts of child abuse. They were held on $300,000 bail each. Officials said even one day would have made a difference to the future of the children, who could have been found dead. Seven of them were rushed to the hospital in need of immediate medical attention, and one of them is currently in very serious condition.
Prosecutor Vinton William Archer clarified that the suspects were not native to the area: they had been living in that house for about four years and had been careful to travel frequently around the country to avoid arousing suspicion. No one knew of the existence of these sixteen children.