Ohio mom of 16 cradles stomach in court, pleads not guilty in severe abuse case involving own children
An Ohio mother of 16 children rescued from a home where they allegedly lived in horrific conditions cradled her stomach while in court, where she pleaded not guilty to charges against her.
Elizabeth Siders, 34, who faces four counts of child sexual abuse and 19 counts of child endangerment, appeared in court Wednesday, FOX 8 reported.
While in front of a judge, Siders, dressed in an orange jumpsuit, kept shielding her stomach and clutched her belly, The Daily Mail reported.
Fox News Digital has reached out to her attorney, Thomas Stolly, for comment on the charges against his client and whether she is once again pregnant.
"We have an individual in Elizabeth who was married at age 15, who has essentially been pregnant for the better part of two decades," Stolly told local media. "Who has never fully gone through any postpartum period, who has not been receiving regular medical care that would be appropriate for someone who has had 16, 18 children.
"I have concerns about what effects those have had on her."
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Siders and her husband, Gary Siders Jr., are accused of sexual abuse against a minor in 2022. The alleged victim is not among the 16 children, the news report states.
However, the child was in the care of the couple at the time the alleged abuse occurred. Gary Siders Jr. has also pleaded not guilty to the charges against him but was found incompetent to stand trial last week.
Siders and her husband have been ordered to have no contact.
On Wednesday, a judge deemed Elizabeth Siders a flight risk and raised her bail from $250,000 to $550,000.
In July, investigators said they found the children — ranging in age from 17 months to 18 years old — living in deplorable conditions inside a home in Hamden.
They were initially investigating child sexual abuse allegations regarding Siders' extended family members — Brandon Henderson, the longtime partner of Gary Siders Jr.’s sister, and Joshua Saunders, a cousin of the 16 rescued children, the FOX 8 report states.