A search warrant at a home in a small southern Ohio village led investigators to a scene officials said they would not soon forget.
The discovery
Agents from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the Vinton County Sheriff's Office searched a home in Hamden, about 60 miles southeast of Columbus, on Tuesday as part of an investigation into alleged abuse and neglect, WSAZ reported. Inside, they found 16 children, ranging in age from about 1 to 18, whom officials said had been living largely confined to a single small room in unsanitary conditions.
Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain called the scene "disgusting" and said the children had received worse care than livestock. Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson, who visited the home, said the conditions were almost beyond description and that, in his view, a further delay could have led to a death. Officials said none of the children were enrolled in school and that some could not speak.
The charges
Four adults — described by prosecutors as the children's parents and grandparents — were arrested and each charged with 16 counts of endangering children, a felony, ABC News reported. All four pleaded not guilty at an initial court appearance, and bond was set at $300,000 each with no-contact orders. The county prosecutor said the case appeared to be an intra-family matter and that there was no evidence of human trafficking. All four are presumed innocent unless convicted.
The children
Several of the children were taken to hospitals in Columbus for evaluation, at least two by air, and the rest were placed in protective custody under Ohio's child-welfare system, officials said. Gov. Mike DeWine called the situation tragic and said the state was providing support through its Department of Children and Youth. Investigators said the family had moved among several Ohio counties over the years, and the Bureau of Criminal Investigation is still processing evidence; authorities did not rule out additional charges. The Herald is not identifying the children.
