Ohio uncle and two men indicted for sexual abuse linked to rescued 16-child home

A jury in Vinton County returned indictments against Brandon Henderson Sr., identified as the uncle of the 16 children rescued from an Ohio house of horrors, and Josh Saunders, who faces three rape counts and a charge of gross sexual imposition. Henderson was charged with 21 counts of child endangerment, while the Siders couple—Gary Siders Jr. and Elizabeth Siders—were each charged with unlawful sexual conduct and sexual battery involving a minor unrelated to the family.

The investigation began after a December probe into child sexual abuse prompted authorities to examine the squalid conditions at the Hamden home, where the children were found in June. Prosecutors confirmed all alleged victims are minors but have not released their identities. The case also references a prior marriage linking Henderson to the Siders family through Virginia, sister of Gary Jr., and mentions another Joshua D. Saunders, incarcerated on murder charges since 2009, though his connection to the younger Saunders remains unclear. The indictments underscore the severe abuse and neglect uncovered in the Ohio household.