Four people have been charged with child endangerment after 16 children were removed from a home in Ohio where officials say they were living in “deplorable conditions.”

Four people have been charged with child endangerment after 16 children were removed from a home in Ohio where officials say they were living in “deplorable conditions.”

CONDITIONS DESCRIBED AS DEPLORABLE. THE STUFF OF NIGHTMARES ALLEGEDLY HIDDEN BEHIND THE DOORS OF THIS SIMPLE OHIO HOME. >> THIS IS PURE EVIL. WHAT WE SAW DOWN HERE TODAY IS PURE EVIL. >> 16 CHILDREN RANGING FROM 18 MONTHS TO 18 YEARS OLD, WERE PULLED OUT OF WHAT AUTHORITIES ARE CALLING A HOUSE OF HORRORS. CONDITIONS INSIDE DESCRIBED AS DEPLORABLE.

>> OUR LIVESTOCK WAS KEPT IN BETTER CONDITIONS THAN THE CHILDREN. >> FOR ADULTS ARRESTED, NOW CHARGED. >> ALL OF THOSE COUNTS ARE FELONIES OF THE SECOND DEGREE. >> 73 YEAR OLD GARY SIDERS AND HIS 36 YEAR OLD SON APPEARED TOGETHER ON CAMERA FOR THEIR ARRAIGNMENT TODAY. >> WE’LL BE RIGHT WITH YOU. >> THEN 67 YEAR OLD CHRISTINA SIDERS AND 33 YEAR OLD ELIZABETH SIDERS APPEARED BY VIDEO SITTING SIDE BY SIDE.

>> GRANDMA. >> GRANDPA, FATHER AND MOTHER. AT THIS POINT, THAT’S WHAT WE KNOW. >> ALL FOUR ADULTS CHARGED WITH 16 COUNTS OF ENDANGERING CHILDREN AND BEING HELD ON $300,000 BOND EACH. THEY ALL PLED NOT GUILTY. >> THE SIDERS ARE FACING ANYWHERE FROM 16 TO 128 YEARS IN PRISON. >> THE HOUSE IS LOCATED IN THE SMALL VILLAGE OF HAMDEN, PART OF OHIO’S RURAL SOUTHEASTERN APPALACHIAN REGION.

>> THERE ISN’T MUCH EVIDENCE THAT KIDS LIVE THERE. I DIDN’T ACTUALLY GO INTO THE ROOM WHERE THE KIDS WERE. I JUST LOOKED THROUGH THROUGH THE DOOR. THAT WAS YESTERDAY. I CAN STILL SMELL IT. I CAN’T GET THE SMELL. >> THE CHILDREN WERE KEPT IN A ROUGHLY 12 BY 12 AREA. IT SEEMS LIKE IS WHERE THEY SPENT THE MOST OF THE LAST FOUR YEARS.

>> THE BIG QUESTION FOR ME AS A DEFENSE ATTORNEY WHO’S GOING TO TALK FIRST. SOMEONE’S GOING TO POINT THE FINGER AT SOMEONE. >> IT’S HORRIFIC. THAT’S JUST NASTY. IT’S HORRIFIC. IT REALLY IS. >> NEIGHBORS ARE SURPRISED AND SHAKEN THAT THIS SITUATION COULD HAVE BEEN HAPPENING WITH NO ONE NOTICING. >> I PRAYED A WHOLE LOT THAT THEY THAT ALL THEM KIDS GET BETTER.

>> SEVERAL OF THE CHILDREN ARE IN SERIOUS CONDITION. TWO OF THE CHILDREN HAD TO BE CARE FLIGHTED TO TO LEVEL ONE TRAUMA CENTERS. >> THE 16 CHILDREN WERE INITIALLY CHECKED OUT. SOME WERE TAKEN TO HOSPITALS ACROSS THE STATE, WHERE THEY WILL LIKELY REMAIN FOR A WHILE. >> I THINK IF THEY WOULD HAVE WAITED ANOTHER 24 HOURS, THERE WAS A VERY HIGH PROBABILITY THAT WE’D BE DEALING WITH WITH A WITH