Elizabeth Siders, mother of 16 children rescued from a small Vinton County home over the summer, will appear in court Sept. 16 for an arraignment hearing.
A grand jury indicted Siders, 34, on 19 counts of child endangerment Aug. 21. The Ohio Attorney General's office has said she also faces two counts of sexual battery and two counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a child
, but those charges do not yet appear in the online court docket.The child connected to the latter charges is not an immediate family member, and is more than 10 years younger than Siders, the attorney general's office said.
Siders' husband, Gary L. Siders Jr., and his parents, Gary L. Siders Sr. and Christina Siders, also face charges after officials found the children in a small,
dilapidated home on the 100 block of Ohmer Street in Hamden, a village in Vinton County.
All the adults have been indicted on several counts of child endangerment, and Elizabeth Siders and her husband also face charges of sexual battery and unlawful sexual conduct with a child.
Gary Siders Jr.'s nephew, Joshua Saunders III, and Saunders' mother's partner, Brandon Henderson, face multiple charges alleging sexual misconduct involving two children.
Elizabeth Siders remains in the Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail in lieu of a $300,000 bond.
Grandfather in Vinton County child abuse case not competent to stand trial
At a Sept. 9 hearing, Vinton County Common Pleas Court Judge Laina Fetherolf Rogers accepted an evaluation that found Gary Siders Sr., Elizabeth Siders' father-in-law, was not competent to assist his lawyers in his case and cannot be restored to competency.
Dorian Baum, attorney for Siders Sr., said he expects the charges to be dismissed soon and that Siders Sr. will not be called as a witness in the other cases.
Baum said Siders Sr. has experienced a steep decline in his mental and physical health, has memory problems, and in conversations appeared unable to give direct answers to questions or understand what was going on. The state may seek a civil commitment, Baum said.
Public safety and breaking news reporter Bailey Gallion can be reached at bagallion@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Mother of 16 children rescued from Vinton County home to appear in court
