Gary Siders Jr. and his wife Elizabeth Siders, the Vinton County couple whose child endangerment case has made national headlines, face additional charges after being accused of sexual contact with a minor who isn't one of their 16 children.
But four days after state and local officials announced those charges, none of the documents that would explain them have appeared on a public court docket.
Other indictments revealed at the same time have now been posted, and two defendants' whose cases are connected to the Siders' family investigation have been arraigned.
It is not clear why the additional indictments against Elizabeth and Gary Siders Jr. are not yet visible.
Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson's office could not explain the delay. Vinton County
Prosecutor William Archer has not responded to the Dispatch's queries.
Siders adults indicted Aug. 21
Wilson and Archer announced late on Aug. 21 that the Siders couple and their co-defendants, Gary Siders Sr. and his wife Christina Siders, had been indicted on multiple counts of endangering children, the charges initially announced following the discovery of their 16 children in squalid conditions.
At the same time, officials announced, new sexual battery and unlawful sexual conduct with a minor charges had been added against the younger couple. Authorities said the minor involved was not one of the Siders' 16 children.
But as of midday on Aug. 25, those charges were not on the Vinton County Clerk of Courts' visible online docket.
Other charges against the Siders, as well as Christina Siders, 67, and Gary Siders Sr., 73, are visible. Those charges, include endangering children at multiple different felony and misdemeanor levels.
Additionally, two other people whose indictments authorities announced on Aug. 21 – Josh Saunders and Brandon Henderson Sr. – are visible on the clerk's website. Saunders and Henderson appeared for arraignments on Aug. 24, according to online court records. Their indictments were posted the day of their arraignment.
Gag orders are currently in place for Christina Siders' case, as well as the alleged child abuse case involving Gary Siders Jr.
In announcing the indictments on Aug. 21, Archer and Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain provided new details about the investigations that led to the June 30 discovery of the 16 children.
Reporter Bethany Bruner can be reached at bbruner@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Days after announcement, new Siders indictments not yet publicly available
