Editor's Note: This story contains discussions of child abuse that may be disturbing. Reader discretion is advised. If you suspect a child is being abused, find out how to report it in your state here. To connect with a counselor, you can call the National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4253.

(NewsNation) — New school records show six of the 16 children rescued from a Vinton County, Ohio home this summer were enrolled in public school for two years before they stopped showing up.

The records show the six eldest Siders children were enrolled in public elementary school — the same school their mother had attended — in 2020, but were unenrolled in 2022 because they hadn't attended class for the entire 2021-2022 school year, NewsNation affiliate WCMH reported.

A truancy case for the absences was dismissed after officials said they couldn't locate the children's parents to serve them court papers.

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This combination of undated booking photos provided by Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, shows, clockwise starting at top left, Gary Siders Sr., Christine Siders, Elizabeth Siders and Gary Siders Jr. (Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail via AP)

Gary Siders Sr., 73, Christina Siders, 67, Gary Siders Jr., 36 and Elizabeth Siders, 33, were arrested June 30 and each face 16 counts of child endangerment after investigators say they found 16 children, ages 1 to 18, living in what officials described as "horrific" conditions.

The children are now in state custody. Advocates say the case's complexity could make it hard to place them together in foster care.

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