The mother of 16 children found living in squalid conditions in an Ohio house has pleaded not guilty to endangering her children, as well as sexual battery of a minor in a separate case.
Elizabeth Siders, 34, appeared in Vinton County court Wednesday for her arraignment. She was arrested June 30 along with her husband, Gary Siders Jr., and her in-laws Gary Siders Sr. and Christina Siders.
Elizabeth Siders pleaded not guilty to 19 counts of child endangerment in the case related to her children. Prosecutors said that the children were found in horrific conditions, in a home littered with feces, and that some of the children were unable to speak.
She also pleaded not guilty to two charges each of sexual battery and unlawful sexual conduct with a minor in a separate case. NBC News has reached out to her attorney for comment.
Siders and her husband were indicted Aug. 21 in the sexual battery case.
The indictments accuse Gary Siders Jr., 36, and Elizabeth Siders of sexual abuse against a minor, who was between the ages of 13 and 16 in 2022.
The indictments indicate the victim was not one of Elizabeth Siders’ children, but they describe her as acting “in loco parentis,” meaning she was responsible for the victim’s care.
She hung her head in court when a judge ordered her Wednesday to have no contact with her children, the minor victim or her husband.
The judge set her bond at $250,000, on top of her $300,000 child endangerment bond. She remained in jail Thursday.
Her defense attorney, Thomas Stolly, told the judge she misses her children and questioned whether she herself is a victim.
“We have an individual in Elizabeth who was married at age 15, who has essentially been pregnant for the better part of two decades, who has never fully gone through any postpartum period,” Stolly said, according to NBC affiliate WSAZ of Huntington, West Virginia.
He said he was concerned about the effects she may suffer given the repeated births and a lack of regular medical care.
The Siders children, ages 1½ to 18, are in state custody.
Stolly previously asked for a competency evaluation for Elizabeth, which was granted last month. The results are pending.
How the cases came about
Officials have said that an investigation that started in December into sexual abuse involving two children led to the arrests of two South Bloomingville men.
That probe eventually led to a separate investigation in March into Gary Jr. and Elizabeth Siders involving possible unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.
On June 30, a search warrant was executed at the Siderses’ home, which led authorities to discover their 16 children living in squalid conditions. Gary Jr., Elizabeth, Gary Sr. and Christina Siders were all arrested the same day on preliminary child endangerment charges.
A grand jury handed up indictments Aug. 21, charging Gary Jr., Elizabeth and Christina with 19 counts of child endangerment and Gary Siders Sr. with 16 counts. The same grand jury also indicted Gary Jr. and Elizabeth on the sexual battery and unlawful sexual conduct charges.
Where the cases stand now
Gary Siders Jr. pleaded not guilty to all charges Aug. 26. He remains in jail. His attorney declined to comment Thursday, citing a gag order.
Last week, Gary Siders Sr., 73, was found not competent to stand trial, WSAZ reported.
Dorian Baum, an attorney for Siders Sr., told The Associated Press after the hearing that the finding was not surprising. Baum said Siders’ mental health has been declining for years and is “not restorable.”
“He doesn’t fully understand or appreciate what’s going on,” Baum said.
Christina Siders, 68, pleaded not guilty to the initial charges and awaits arraignment on the indictment. She is in jail and is due back in court for a bond hearing Monday. NBC News has reached out to her attorney for comment.
Both Gary Siders Jr. and Christina Siders also requested mental competency evaluations; the results are pending.
If you are a child being abused, or know a child who may be facing abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at (800) 422-4453, or go to www.childhelphotline.org. States often have child abuse hotlines, but if you suspect a child’s life is in imminent danger, call 911.
