VINTON COUNTY, Ohio (TCN) — An elderly man charged in connection with a child endangerment case in which 16 children were found living in a squalid home has been released on recognizance.
On June 30, the children, ranging in age from 1 to 18, were rescued from a home that Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain deemed “horrific.” The children allegedly spent most of their time in a single room of the home. At a press conference, Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said they lived like “feral animals.”
Authorities were reportedly not aware that any children lived at the home. They had gone to the home on June 30 to serve an unrelated warrant to 36-year-old Gary Siders Jr. for four counts of indecent exposure.
In addition to Gary Siders Jr., three other adult family members were charged with 17 counts of child endangerment: 74-year-old Gary Siders Sr., 67-year-old Christina Siders, and 33-year-old Elizabeth Siders. All four adults pleaded not guilty at their arraignments on July 1.
According to WSYX, Gary Siders Sr. got sick after he was charged and was taken to the hospital. His attorney, Dorian Baum, said, “The jail would have potentially bankrupted the county as a result of his significant medical issues. … I think it’s apparent to anybody that he had significant physical limitations.”
Baum also alleged Siders Sr. has experienced significant cognitive decline and did not serve as a caregiver in the home. Per WSYX, Siders Sr. has been ordered to undergo a competency evaluation, but it has not yet taken place. LA Mag reports that the other adults charged have also requested to undergo competency evaluations.
After he was admitted to the hospital, Judge Laina Rogers allowed Siders Sr.’s $300,000 cash bond to be changed to a $300,000 recognizance bond, per WSYX. LA Mag reports he must wear a GPS monitor, attend all proceedings, and be screened for drugs and alcohol when requested to do so.
According to records obtained by WSYX, as of Aug. 4, Siders Sr. was no longer hospitalized and was released on his own recognizance.
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