SHOCKING pictures have revealed the filthy conditions inside a so-called house of horrors where 16 children were allegedly confined for years surrounded by human waste and piles of trash.
The disturbing images show garbage-strewn floors, rooms crammed with debris and waste piled throughout the property, where authorities say some of the kids were unable to speak.
The children, aged between 18 months and 18 years old, were rescued from the rundown home in Hamden, Ohio, on June 30 after investigators executed court-authorized search warrants.
Pictures show bags, cardboard boxes and discarded items covering floors inside the property.
One image shows cigarette ʙuттs and food packaging scattered across a filthy corner, while another reveals household items and boxes stacked inside a cluttered room.
A separate picture shows a DVD of A Star is Born lying among discarded belongings.
Authorities have alleged that many of the siblings spent much of the previous four years in an area measuring just 12 feet by 12 feet.
Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain described the scene as “disgusting” and said investigators found a heavy presence of human feces.
“Most of our livestock was kept in better conditions than the children,” Cain said.
Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said the children looked like “almost feral animals” when authorities entered the home.
“It was terrible,” Wilson said, adding of the oldest sibling: “The 18-year-old can’t spell their name.”
Investigators said the children had extremely limited communication skills.
Seven were taken to hospitals for evaluation after their rescue, while two were flown to trauma centers and one was reported to be in critical condition at the time.
Wilson warned that the discovery may have come just in time.
“I think if they would have waited another 24 hours, there was a very high probability that we’d be dealing with a death or multiple deaths of these children,” he said.
None of the 16 children was enrolled in the local school system, and authorities said determining exactly what education they had received remains part of the investigation.
Neighbors said they had no idea such a large number of children were living inside the property.
“My grandkids and my kids, we’ve all walked up and down that street; there’s never been a sign of any child,” one resident told WOWK 13 News.
“As a mother and a grandmother, I just don’t understand the logic.”
The children’s parents, Elizabeth Siders, 33, and Gary Siders Jr. 36, were arrested alongside grandparents Christina Siders, 67, and Gary Siders Sr., 73.
Each was charged with 16 counts of second-degree felony child endangerment and pleaded not guilty.
Elizabeth is now seeking to have her $300,000 bond lowered as the criminal case moves forward.
Her lawyer, Thomas Stolly argued in a court filing that she is not a flight risk, cannot afford the bond and would agree to wear a GPS monitor.
Stolly told the AP that Elizabeth was “crying and exhausted” when he met her in jail.
“My client’s first question to me when I walked into the jail and introduced myself was about her kids,” he said.
“She asked if her children were OK, she asked if I knew where they were, and she asked when she’d be able to see them again.”
He said he was unable to answer her questions, but added, “I thought it was telling that her first concern was not, ‘When can I get out of jail?’ but was ‘Are my children OK?’”
The siblings have been removed from the home and placed in temporary state custody while authorities continue investigating the allegations.
Vinton County Prosecutor William Archer has said the children are now “safe and being cared for.”
The case has also placed extraordinary pressure on tiny Vinton County, where removing the 16 siblings from the home more than doubled the number of children in temporary custody.
State officials have moved to provide $1 million in emergency funding to help cover their care and other costs linked to the case.
Investigators have said the case involves alleged prolonged, extreme neglect within one family and is not believed to be connected to human trafficking.