Four adults were charged after 16 children were found inside an Ohio home, and now social media users can’t stop comparing it to one infamous case

New details have emerged in the case of 16 children discovered inside a rural Ohio home, in what authorities have described as horrific conditions. As detailed by VT, the children, who range in age from 18 months to 18 years, were found living inside a home in Hamden, Ohio. Four adults, identified as the children’s parents and grandparents, are now facing felony child endangerment charges.

The four individuals arrested, Gary Siders Jr., Gary Siders Sr., Christina Siders, and Elizabeth Siders, appeared in court, where a judge entered not guilty pleas on their behalf and set bond at $300,000 each. The investigation remains ongoing as officials work to determine how the family avoided detection for so long.

Officials say the children spent most of their lives confined to a twelve by twelve foot room. Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain said the space was contaminated with human waste, noting that “most livestock are kept in better conditions.” Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson, who spoke at a news conference covered by PBS NewsHour, described the children as appearing “almost feral” when they were found.

The scale of the case has raised as many questions as answers

Some of the children were reportedly unable to speak, and an eighteen year old in the group, who is developmentally disabled, could not write her name. Seven of the children were taken to hospitals in Columbus, two of them by helicopter, and one was listed in critical condition at the time of the discovery.

Investigators are now trying to determine how the family avoided detection for so long, since the children were not enrolled in school. Former FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer said on NewsNation that the family appeared to have relocated repeatedly to stay off the radar. Elsewhere online this week, a viral tourist bracelet scam also drew widespread attention on social media.

Criminal defense attorney Mark Geragos said the wide age range among the children was one of the more striking details of the case. He agreed that “feral” was an unfortunate but accurate description of the circumstances the children were found in.

Online, many users have compared the case to that of Josef Fritzl, an Austrian man who held his daughter captive for twenty four years, though no official link between the two cases exists. Neighbor Joseph Stewart, who has lived on the street for six years, said he never saw children at the property before the discovery. Separately, an Irish couple’s small town restaurant stop also went viral this week, part of a wider run of trending social media stories.

The sixteen children are currently in the temporary custody of the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services as the investigation continues. Officials say additional charges could be filed as the case develops.