Former FBI agent explains how 16 Ohio kids 'left to rot' by family went undetected for years

A former FBI agent has revealed how 16 children in Ohio, who were living in squalor, went undetected for over four years.

Four adults are facing felony child endangerment charges after 16 children were discovered living in horrific conditions inside an Ohio home.

Police arrested Gary Siders Jr., Gary Siders Sr., Christina Siders, and Elizabeth Siders, who are believed to be the children’s parents and grandparents.

Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson told WCMH that the children, who were aged between 18 months and 18 years, spent much of their time inside a 12-by-12-foot room contaminated with human waste.

Wilson described them as “almost feral.” Neighbors in the small Vinton County community said they had no idea the children were living in the property, while the Associated Press reported that the children were not enrolled in school.

Former FBI agent discusses how the children went undetected

The property the children were found in was falling apart. Credit: X / Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson

On NewsNation’s CUOMO, former FBI special agent Jennifer Coffindaffer and criminal defense lawyer Mark Geragos discussed how a family could conceal so many children for so long.

“You get away with it because you conceal it by moving over and over again,” Coffindaffer said. “You don’t let the children out of the house, and you keep them in that basement.”

Geragos said the age range of the children was the most striking part of the case. “I think probably the thing that strikes me the most is the span of the ages,” he said. “Eighteen months to 18 years is just stunning in terms of that.”

Authorities have also described the children as “feral,” and Geragos said he thought that label was appropriate. “That’s actually a pretty good use of the word,” he said. “It’s not civilized, is, I guess, the best way I’d put it.”

'There are going to be other charges' predicts FBI agent

Coffindaffer suggested there could be more charges in the case, potentially linked to the children’s ages and their family relationships.

“I think there are going to be other charges,” she said. “I believe these older children, the females that were able to be of childbearing years, I think they’re going to have to do full DNA.”

The investigation is still ongoing, and officials have not said whether the family was already known to child services.

Featured Image Credit: X / Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson