First responders said it will be a long time before they recover from what they discovered in a tiny Ohio home this week.

Sixteen children were brought to safety from a severely neglected home in Hamden on Tuesday and are now receiving care as investigators continue looking into what they describe as years of extreme neglect and mistreatment.

Four members of the Siders family — identified as the parents and grandparents of the children — were each charged with more than a dozen counts of child endangerment. The children range in age from 1-and-a-half years to 18 years old.

Investigators said the children were kept in a 12-by-12-foot room for nearly four years, noting that the conditions inside the home were described as worse than those found in many animal shelters.

An acting fire public information officer who responded to the scene said he drove four of the children to the hospital, adding that they were frightened and quiet during the 20-minute drive.

“Cockroaches and things like that,” he said. “Insects throughout the home, and they would get on the children. The kids had scratches and insect bites. Their condition wasn’t good. They were just quiet, with blank expressions.”

Investigators said some of the children cannot communicate at all, while others have very limited speech. None of the children was enrolled in school, and investigators said the eldest child could not spell her own name. The sheriff said one of the children remains in serious condition at a hospital.

Neighbors told WSYX they had no idea any children were living in the small house.

Investigators said they first came to the property to carry out a search warrant connected to a separate investigation that began four to six weeks before the children were found Tuesday.

Based on the evidence gathered so far, investigators believe the case involves years of severe family neglect and mistreatment.

The four suspects — Gary Siders Sr., Gary Siders Jr., Christina Siders and Elizabeth Siders — all pleaded not guilty Wednesday and were each ordered held on a $300,000 bond. The attorney for Gary Siders Sr., Dorian Keith Baum, shared the following statement with WSYX on Thursday afternoon:

“While this case has understandably received significant media attention and widespread discussion online, the reality is that we are only at the earliest stages of the legal process. There has not even been an indictment filed against Mr. Siders yet, only a complaint, followed by an amended complaint containing one fewer count than the previous filing, which reflects how early this case still is.

“It has not escaped our notice that various public officials, including state and local leaders, the interim State Attorney General, and the prosecutor assigned to this matter, have made public comments before the legal process has run its course.

“However, it is important to remember that Mr. Siders is entitled to the same presumption of innocence as anyone charged with a crime. While there is little way to stop speculation or unverified claims, I ask that everyone allow the legal process to move forward so the defense can carefully review the evidence and determine whether the State can meet its burden of proof or whether Mr. Siders is not guilty of the allegations.”

No next court date has been set, but three of the suspects now have public defenders.

Source: National News