SECOND UNDERAGE MARRIAGE REVEALED IN OHIO “HOUSE OF HORRORS” CASE INVOLVING 16 CHILDREN

HAMDEN, Ohio — A disturbing new detail has emerged in the Ohio case involving a family whose 16 children were discovered living in allegedly deplorable conditions.

Investigators have uncovered records showing that Virginia Siders, a daughter of Gary and Christina Siders, was married at age 15 to a 19-year-old man in 2003. The discovery comes as multiple members of the extended family face serious criminal allegations.

A SECOND UNDERAGE MARRIAGE

According to a 2003 marriage-license application from Gallia County, Virginia was listed as 15 years old when she sought to marry a 19-year-old man.

Her parents, Gary Siders Sr. and Christina Siders, signed consent documents for the marriage, according to records cited by The U.S. Sun.

NewsNation affiliate WCMH identified Virginia’s husband as Joshua D. Saunders, now 42, who has been serving a 15-years-to-life prison sentence since 2009 after being convicted of murder.

Records indicate that Virginia and Saunders later had a son, Josh Saunders III.

NEW CRIMINAL CASES ADD TO THE FAMILY’S TURMOIL

Josh Saunders III, now 23, has been charged with three counts of rape and one count of gross sexual imposition, according to WCMH.

The charges stem from an investigation into alleged abuse involving two minors. Authorities have said the alleged victims are not members of Gary and Elizabeth Siders’ 16 children. Saunders pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Another man, Brandon Henderson Sr., 40, has also been indicted in a separate investigation involving alleged offenses against children. He faces 21 charges, according to the report.

Henderson has reportedly been in a relationship with Virginia Siders.

THE CASE INVOLVING THE 16 CHILDREN

The revelations come as the investigation into the Siders household continues.

In June, authorities arrested Gary Siders Jr., 36, Elizabeth Siders, 33, Gary Siders Sr., 73, and Christina Siders, 67, after 16 children were discovered at the family’s rural Hamden property.

Investigators alleged that the children, ranging in age from approximately 18 months to 18 years, had been living in extremely poor conditions and were confined to a room measuring roughly 12 feet by 12 feet.

All four adults face 16 child-endangerment charges.

Gary Jr. and Elizabeth are also facing separate charges related to alleged sexual conduct involving a minor who authorities say was not one of their children.

GARY SIDER JR. PLEADS NOT GUILTY

On Wednesday, Gary Siders Jr. pleaded not guilty to four charges related to alleged child sexual abuse.

He was granted a $250,000 bond and ordered not to have contact with Elizabeth.

Court records cited by WCMH allege that the conduct occurred between January and September 2022 and involved a minor between the ages of 13 and 16.

Elizabeth faces the same four sexual-abuse-related charges but had not yet been arraigned at the time of the report.

Her attorney, Thomas Stolley, has pushed back against descriptions of the family’s home as “pure evil” and has sought her release on a recognizance bond.

A FAMILY UNDER INTENSE SCRUTINY

The latest revelations have expanded the scope of a case that initially shocked Ohio after authorities removed 16 children from the Siders home.

What began with allegations concerning the children’s living conditions has now grown into a series of interconnected investigations involving multiple members of the extended family.

Authorities continue to investigate the allegations, while the defendants remain entitled to the presumption of innocence unless proven guilty in court.

A second underage marriage, new criminal charges and a widening family connection have added another disturbing chapter to the Ohio case — as investigators continue working to determine the full extent of what happened behind the doors of the Siders family.