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.
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mother → find → case
Elizabeth Siders, 34, appeared in Vinton County court Wednesday for her arraignment.
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Siders → appear → arraignment
She was arrested June 30 along with her husband, Gary Siders Jr., and her in-laws Gary Siders Sr. and Christina Siders.
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She → arrest → husband
Elizabeth Siders pleaded not guilty to 19 counts of child endangerment in the case related to her children.
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Siders → plead → 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.
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some → say → children
She also pleaded not guilty to two charges each of sexual battery and unlawful sexual conduct with a minor in a separate case.
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She → plead → case
NBC News has reached out to her attorney for comment.
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News → reach → comment
Siders and her husband were indicted Aug. 21 in the sexual battery case.
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Siders → indict → 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.
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who → accuse → 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.
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she → indicate → 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.
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judge → hang → children
The judge set her bond at $250,000, on top of her $300,000 child endangerment bond.
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judge → set → bond
She remained in jail Thursday.
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She → remain → jail
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.
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Stolly → tell → Huntington
He said he was concerned about the effects she may suffer given the repeated births and a lack of regular medical care.
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she → say → care
Stolly previously asked for a competency evaluation for Elizabeth, which was granted last month.
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which → ask → Elizabeth
The results are pending.
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results → pende → ?
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.
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that → come → 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.
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probe → lead → 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.
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children → execute → conditions
Gary Jr., Elizabeth, Gary Sr. and Christina Siders were all arrested the same day on preliminary child endangerment charges.
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Jr. → arrest → 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.
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jury → hand → counts
The same grand jury also indicted Gary Jr. and Elizabeth on the sexual battery and unlawful sexual conduct charges.
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jury → indict → charges
Where the cases stand now
Gary Siders Jr. pleaded not guilty to all charges Aug. 26.
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Jr. → stand → charges
He remains in jail.
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He → remain → jail
His attorney declined to comment Thursday, citing a gag order.
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attorney → decline → order
Last week, Gary Siders Sr., 73, was found not competent to stand trial, WSAZ reported.
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WSAZ → find → trial
Dorian Baum, an attorney for Siders Sr., told The Associated Press after the hearing that the finding was not surprising.
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finding → tell → hearing
Baum said Siders’ mental health has been declining for years and is “not restorable.”
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health → say → years
“He doesn’t fully understand or appreciate what’s going on,” Baum said.
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Baum → understand → ?
Christina Siders, 68, pleaded not guilty to the initial charges and awaits arraignment on the indictment.
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Siders → plead → indictment
NBC News has reached out to her attorney for comment.
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News → reach → comment
Both Gary Siders Jr. and Christina Siders also requested mental competency evaluations; the results are pending.
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results → request → evaluations
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.
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who → abuse → www.childhelphotline.org
States often have child abuse hotlines, but if you suspect a child’s life is in imminent danger, call 911.
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life → have → 911
The Aporia
