Indictments in Vinton County: Child Sexual Abuse and Endangerment Cases Unfold
Seven individuals in Vinton County have been indicted in separate child sexual abuse and endangerment cases following investigations by the Vinton County Sheriff’s Office and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation’s Special Victims Unit. The indictments include charges against a Hamden couple and two relatives accused of keeping 16 children in unsafe conditions inside their home. The cases are being handled by the Vinton County Prosecutor’s Office with assistance from the Highland County Prosecutor’s Office and the attorney general’s Special Prosecutions Section.
In the first case, two South Bloomingville men, Josh Saunders and Brandon Henderson Sr., were indicted on various charges related to sexual abuse of children. The investigation, initiated in December 2025, led to multiple indictments against the two men. Saunders faces charges of rape and gross sexual imposition, while Henderson Sr. faces charges of endangering children, gross sexual imposition, and sexual battery.
Following information from the first investigation, a second inquiry was opened in March into allegations of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. Gary Siders Jr. and Elizabeth Siders were indicted on charges of sexual battery and unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. The indictments allege that the couple engaged in sexual conduct with a minor more than 10 years younger than themselves.
The same investigation also uncovered 16 children living in unsafe conditions at the Siders’ residence on Ohmer Street in Hamden. This prompted a third indictment on child-endangerment charges against Gary Siders Jr., Elizabeth Siders, Gary Siders Sr., and Christina Siders. The indictments allege that the children were subjected to serious physical harm due to the unsafe conditions in the home.
The indictments represent a significant development in the ongoing investigations, according to Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson. The investigations, conducted in collaboration with the Vinton County Sheriff’s Office, are still active, and further support will be provided as the legal process continues. The suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in court.