Second Underage Marriage Exposed in Siders Family as Child Sexual Abuse Allegations Rock Ohio
A second underage marriage connected to the Siders family has been uncovered as investigators probe a larger case of child endangerment and sexual crimes against children in Vinton County, Ohio.
ABC6 Investigates has found a record of a 15-year-old daughter of Christina and Gary Siders Sr. marrying a 19-year-old man in 2003. Both parents signed the marriage application, giving their consent. The couple had a son, according to records, about a month later.
Now 23, that son, Josh Saunders, is indicted on charges of sexual abuse of two children. Police have not been able to prove that the alleged offences are related to the circumstances of his parents’ marriage.
Gary Siders Jr. and Elizabeth Siders were the first couple to be revealed in a marriage, which was also recently uncovered. Gary Jr. was listed as 18 and Elizabeth as 15 when they were married in 2008, and records indicate she was pregnant at the time.
The disclosures have come out as Christina and Gary Siders Sr. and their son Gary Jr. and his wife Elizabeth are charged with a number of offenses involving endangering children. Sixteen children were discovered living in substandard conditions in a home in Hamden and were not attending school, investigators say.
Since then, Ohio has enacted laws that regulate underage marriage. A 17-year-old may now only marry with the permission of the juvenile court and other protections are in place when the other party is older.
Two bills, House Bill 670 and Senate Bill 341, are pending that would eliminate the last exception and set the minimum age for marriage at 18 without exception.
The case has raised fresh concerns about the ability of laws and child protection systems to prevent children from being placed in situations that could lead to them being exploited, neglected or abused.
