Further details emerge about oldest child from Ohio home where 16 children were left to rot like 'feral animals'

A disturbing new detail has come to light after authorities uncovered 16 children living in what officials described as horrific conditions inside an Ohio home.

According to investigators, the oldest child, an 18-year-old woman, is developmentally disabled and unable to even write her name, highlighting the severe neglect authorities say the children suffered after years of isolation.

Police only discovered the children after arriving at the Vinton County property to serve an unrelated indecent exposure warrant for Gary Siders II. Instead, officers found 16 children, ranging in age from 18 months to 18 years old, allegedly living inside a feces-filled home, raising questions about how the situation went unnoticed for so long.

Investigators say communication with the children is extremely limited

Authorities now face the difficult task of piecing together exactly what happened inside the home because many of the children struggle to communicate.

Authorities found 16 children living in what officials described as horrific conditions inside an Ohio home. Credit: WSYX ABC 6

"One of the investigative challenges is that [the children] are limited. They can communicate, but it’s extremely limited, and some not at all," Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain said at a news conference Wednesday (July 1).

According to authorities, the oldest child is developmentally disabled and unable to even write her name.f

Investigators allege the children had been kept isolated inside a 12-foot by 12-foot room for years. Officials said the room was covered in human waste, and the children had never been enrolled in school.

Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson described the investigation as an "intra-family case," adding that it remains unclear exactly who all of the children's parents are. He said the children appeared like "almost feral animals."

Four family members face child endangerment charges

Gary Siders II, his wife Elizabeth Siders, and his parents, Gary Siders Sr. and Christine Siders, were arrested and each faces multiple child endangerment charges.

Records show Gary Siders II was 18 years old and had completed ninth grade when he married Elizabeth in 2008, when she was 15 years old. Because Elizabeth was underage, both of her parents signed the marriage certificate alongside Siders' parents. Their oldest child was born two months after the marriage.

Court records list the children's ages as 18, 16, 15, 14, 13, 11, 10, 8, 6, 5, 4-year-old twins, two-year-old twins, and one-year-old twins.

Officials believe the children had been living in the deplorable conditions for at least four years.

"It really looked third world. It is not something we are used to seeing in America. I cannot get the smell off of me," Wilson told reporters.

Seven of the children were hospitalized in the Columbus area, including two who were taken to trauma centers.

Siders II is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday on the original indecent exposure warrant. All four defendants are being held on $300,000 bonds and each faces up to 16 counts of child endangerment. If convicted on all charges, each could face a maximum sentence of up to 192 years in prison.

Featured image credit: WSYX ABC 6