Six people face criminal charges connected to the Vinton County child abuse investigation that began after authorities found 16 children living in what officials described as "deplorable" conditions in a small Hamden home.
The case began June 30, when the Vinton County Sheriff's Office and Ohio Attorney General's Bureau of Criminal Investigation removed the children from the home and arrested four adults: Gary Siders Sr., Gary Siders Jr., Christina Siders and Elizabeth Siders.
The four initially faced child endangerment charges, but the investigation has since expanded. Gary Siders Jr. and Elizabeth Siders were indicted on additional sex crime charges in August, while two other men, Joshua Saunders III and Brandon Henderson Sr., were also charged
in cases connected to the children.
Vinton County Prosecutor William Archer has said the cases "began as an investigation into family child sex abuse."
Most recently, Elizabeth Siders pleaded not guilty Sept. 16 to child endangerment and sex crime charges. She faces 19 child endangerment counts in addition to charges of sexual battery and unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.
Here's who's charged and what we know about their roles in the case.
Who are the people charged in the Vinton County child abuse case?
- Gary Siders Jr., 36: The father of the 16 children found in the Hamden home. He faces two second-degree felony counts and 10 third-degree felony counts of endangering children, along with seven first-degree misdemeanor counts. He also faces two counts each of sexual battery and unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, all third-degree felonies. Court records say Siders Jr. is accused of engaging in sexual conduct with a child for whom he was acting "in loco parentis," meaning in the place of a parent.
- Elizabeth Siders, 34: The mother of the 16 children and wife of Gary Siders Jr. She faces the same 19 child endangerment counts as her husband, as well as two counts of sexual battery and two counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, all third-degree felonies. A Vinton County grand jury indicted her Aug. 21, and the indictment became public Sept. 16.
- Gary Siders Sr., 73: Gary Siders Jr.'s father. He faces 10 third-degree felony counts and six first-degree misdemeanor counts of endangering children. A judge has since found Siders Sr. incompetent to stand trial after an evaluation determined he was unable to assist his attorneys in his defense.
- Christina Siders, 67: Gary Siders Jr.'s mother. She faces two second-degree felony counts and 10 third-degree felony counts of endangering children, along with seven first-degree misdemeanor counts.
- Joshua Saunders III, 23: Saunders was among two additional defendants indicted Aug. 21 as the investigation expanded beyond the four Siders adults originally arrested. He faces three counts of rape, all first-degree felonies, and one count of gross sexual imposition, a third-degree felony. His case is connected to the discovery of the 16 children, according to previous Dispatch reporting.
- Brandon Henderson Sr., 40: Henderson was also indicted Aug. 21 in connection with the investigation. He faces one second-degree felony and two third-degree felony counts of endangering children, as well as two first-degree misdemeanor counts. Henderson also faces eight counts of gross sexual imposition and eight counts of sexual battery.
Siders family tree
Trending reporter Amani Bayo can be reached at abayo@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Who's who in the Siders family? What to know about key players in the Vinton County case
