The investigation into the Siders family in Vinton County, Ohio, has yielded official results: Gary Siders Jr., 36, and his wife, Elizabeth Siders, 33, have formally confessed to what they did to 16 children, detailing what was found in their basement…
As child endangering indictments were handed down against the Siders family, two defendants, Gary Siders, Jr., and Elizabeth Siders, were also indicted in a separate child sexual abuse case.
According to the Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson’s Office, Gary Siders, Jr., 36, and Elizabeth Siders, 33, were both indicted on four charges each stemming from an investigation opened in March 2026 by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation regarding unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.
The Attorney General says the victim in the case “is not a member of their immediate family.”
Wilson says the indictments allege that Gary Jr. and Elizabeth Siders “engaged in sexual conduct with a minor more than 10 years younger than their own age” between January 2022 and September 2022.
According to Wilson, the charges Gary Jr. and Elizabeth face in this investigation are:
- Two counts each of sexual battery, a third-degree felony
- Two counts each of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, a third-degree felony
Gary Jr. and Elizabeth, along with Gary Jr.’s parents, Gary Siders, Sr., 73, and Christina Siders, 68, were all arrested June 30 on child endangering charges when 16 children were removed from their home, some of whom were in “serious medical condition.”
Authorities said investigators had been at the home to serve an unrelated warrant. While they never officially announced the contents of that warrant, another warrant had been issued that day for Gary Jr. on public indecency charges. However, Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain clarified in a video statement that the warrant they were serving was related to these charges.
“There have been a lot of speculation and questions regarding the June 30th presence on Ohmer Street in Hamden. These indictments provide some insight into the ongoing investigation; however, to preserve the integrity of the ongoing investigation and to protect the victims, I conclude my statement here,” said Cain.
Vinton County Prosecutor William Archer further clarified that the search warrant was issued for the purpose of securing Gary Jr.’s DNA for the child sex abuse case. Just as when the child endangering charges were first announced, Archer said this investigation is also not a case of human trafficking and that there is no danger to the general public.
According to Wilson and Cain, the investigation launched in March into Gary Jr. and Elizabeth stemmed from a different child sexual abuse case in Vinton County. That investigation began in December 2025 and involved sexual abuse allegations involving two children.
In that case, two South Bloomingville men, identified by Wilson as Joshua Saunders, 23, and Brandon Henderson, Sr., 40, were indicted and arrested Friday, Aug. 21. Saunders faces four charges, including rape and gross sexual imposition, and Henderson faces 21 counts, including multiple charges of child endangering, gross sexual imposition and sexual battery.
Along with this announcement, Wilson announced that Gary Jr., Elizabeth, Gary Sr., and Christina were all indicted on numerous charges related to the endangerment of 16 children within their home.
The charges in the separate child endangering investigation are:
- Gary Siders, Jr. – 19 charges total
- Two second-degree felony counts of endangering children
- Ten third-degree felony counts of endangering children
- Seven misdemeanor counts of endangering children
- Elizabeth Siders – 19 charges total
- Two second-degree felony counts of endangering children
- Ten third-degree felony counts of endangering children
- Seven misdemeanor counts of endangering children
- Gary Siders Sr. – 16 charges total
- Ten third-degree felony counts of child endangering
- Six misdemeanor counts of child endangering
- Christina Siders – 19 charges total
- Two second-degree felony counts of child endangering
- Ten third-degree felony counts of child endangering
- Seven misdemeanor counts of child endangering
“The indictments in this case include charges in the alternative, meaning that multiple counts or different theories of a crime have been charged for the same acts. Doing so allows for a more complete and appropriate presentation of evidence to the court and jury,” Wilson explained.
All of the Siders were arraigned on July 1 and pleaded not guilty to an original 16 counts each of child endangering. They then waived their preliminary hearings the following week.
The Siders’ bonds were set to $300,000 each. Gary Sr., however, was granted a motion to have his bond reduced to recognizance only. Vinton County Prosecutor William Archer said at the time that this was because if he remained in custody, Vinton County would be responsible for his medical bills, which the county could not afford. He was released from custody earlier this month.
Motions requesting competency evaluations for all four Siders defendants have also been granted by a Vinton County judge. These evaluations will determine if they are able to stand trial.
