Grand jury indicts parents, grandparents of 16 children removed from Vinton County house
A Vinton County grand jury has issued new indictments against the parents arrested after 16 children were removed from a Vinton County house.
Authorities said they opened an investigation into Gary Siders Jr., 36, and his wife, Elizabeth Siders, 33, in March, looking into allegations of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. That investigation led to a June 30 search warrant at a residence on Ohmer Street in Hamden.
Gary Siders Jr. has been indicted on two counts of sexual battery and two counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. Elizabeth Siders was indicted on two counts of sexual battery and two counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.
Prosecutors said the indictments allege that Gary Siders Jr. and Elizabeth Siders “engaged in sexual conduct with a minor more than 10 years younger than their own age” between January and September 2022. Authorities said the “victim is not a member of their immediate family.”
The March investigation followed a December 2025 request the Vinton County Sheriff’s Office made of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation concerning allegations of sexual abuse involving two children. That case has led to indictments against two men.
Josh Saunders, 23, was indicted on three counts of rape and one count of gross sexual imposition. Brandon Henderson Sr., 40, was indicted on one count of endangering children, two counts of endangering children, four counts of gross sexual imposition, four counts of gross sexual imposition, eight counts of sexual battery, and two counts of endangering children.
Gary Siders Jr., the children’s father, was indicted on two counts of endangering children, 10 counts of endangering children, and seven misdemeanor counts of endangering children. Elizabeth Siders, the children’s mother, was indicted on two counts of endangering children, 10 counts of endangering children, and seven misdemeanor counts of endangering children.
Gary Siders Sr., 73, the children’s paternal grandfather, was indicted on 10 counts of endangering children and six misdemeanor counts of endangering children. Christina Siders, 68, the children’s paternal grandmother, was indicted on two counts of endangering children, 10 counts of endangering children, and seven misdemeanor counts of endangering children.
In a news release, prosecutors said the indictments “include charges in the alternative, meaning that multiple counts or different theories of a crime have been charged for the same acts.”
“These indictments are the latest developments in the ongoing investigations, but our work is far from complete,” Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said in a release. “BCI is actively investigating these cases alongside the Vinton County Sheriff’s Office, and my office will continue to support Prosecuting Attorney William Archer as the legal process continues.”
