US4 min(s) read
Published 13:02 13 Jul 2026 GMT
A forensic psychologist has opened up about the chilling "House of Horrors" case, where 16 children were found in a neglected, feces-filled rural Ohio home.
Authorities have asked the public to avoid speculation about the conditions the children, who were aged 18 months to 18 years old, were found in.
The children's living conditions were described as similar to the "third world," as police had raided the home due to an unrelated charge.
Investigators at the Vinton County Sheriff's Office made the shocking discovery in Ohio on June 30.
Authorities found the kids in a 12-by-12 room, which was crumbling, with the children appearing to have suffered “serious physical harm.”
Some officials said that the children were being "kept in worse conditions than livestock.”
Following the discovery, four family members, the children's parents and grandparents, Gary Siders Jr, 36, Elizabeth Siders, 33, Gary Siders Sr, 73, and Christina Siders, 67, have been arrested and charged with 16 counts of second-degree felony child endangerment.
A psychologist has now shared who may be responsible for the home's horrific state.
Forensic psychologist John Delatorre spoke to WSYX ABC 6, explaining that long-term abuse can come from a family dynamic built on secrecy and the avoidance of external resources.
The specialist suggested that officials focus on the roles that older family members had, as they may have been responsible for starting these abusive behaviors.
He explained: "The ways in which this thing gets covered up requires planning, right? It requires a sophistication in being able to avoid what would be positive resources, but also law enforcement."
"And I think, when we think of who has those capabilities, it's usually someone who's been doing it for a long period of time. It's not someone who is, you know, relatively young," he claimed.
"So we're looking at the grandparents essentially, right? The elder Siders and his (Gary Jr's) wife as essentially being the catalyst for how these abuses could, number one, begin, but also kind of maintain," Delatorre concluded.
His explanation came after it was announced on Wednesday (July 8) that Gary Siders Sr. was released from jail to be taken to a hospital following health concerns.
Vinton County Prosecutor William Archer revealed that the 73-year-old fell and had to be tended to, as Judge Laina Rogers allowed for his $300,000 cash bond to be changed to a $300,000 recognizance bond.
Vinton County Prosecutor William Archer also addressed claims and rumors that are doing the rounds on social media.
This included the legitimacy of images and videos being shared of the exterior and interior of the rural home.
Speaking to the public, he stated that a lot of the content being shared is "not truthful and not accurate," warning of the potential effects on the 16 children involved.
Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson admitted that he "didn’t know there were going to be 16 kids there" prior to the search as it is not "the type of thing that we’re not used to seeing here in America."
He described the scene as "pure evil" and "disgusting," but the Siders' lawyers have since hit back at the "language" being used by authorities when speaking about the case.
They have reminded them and the public that the defendants are innocent until proven guilty, with officials speaking about what may have been going on at the home.
Many have been assuming what has happened themselves, while others have started to post doctored photos and videos of the children "caged up."
