Cult expert describes Ohio mom as being “Isolated, tired, skinny, busy and pregnant,” all signs she was ‘exploited by cult.’
Elizabeth Siders’ attorneys have argued that she too was a victim of abuse after she married Gary Siders Jr. at just 15 years old(Image: Police)
The family accused of abusing 16 children found living in horrific conditions at an Ohio home may have operated as a “single-family cult,” according to a psychologist who studies coercive groups.
On June 30, authorities rescued from what officials described as a filthy, neglected home in Hamden, Ohio. Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson said the children, who ranged in age from 18 months to 18 years old, “looked like feral animals” and were allegedly living in conditions “.”
Four family members, Gary Siders Jr., Gary Siders Sr., , and Elizabeth Siders, have each been charged with 16 felony counts of child endangerment. All four have pleaded not guilty, and court records show they have requested competency evaluations.
Now, one expert believes the disturbing allegations bear similarities to what is known as a “single-family cult.”
“This is a single-family cult,” organizational psychologist Daniella Mestyanek Young told the Vinton Jackson Courier.
All four have pleaded not guilty, and court records show they have requested competency evaluations
Mestyanek Young, who studies cult dynamics and grew up in the Children of God sect, explained that a single-family cult, sometimes called a micro-cult, centers on a single family rather than a larger religious, political, or spiritual movement.
“The motivation can often just be power. Cults are always about exploitation,” she told the outlet.
Mestyanek Young said patterns of repeated pregnancies can sometimes be seen in controlling family environments(Image: PLUNDERStudios/YouTube)
Drawing on her own experience, Mestyanek Young said patterns of repeated pregnancies can sometimes be seen in controlling family environments. She noted that her own mother experienced multiple pregnancies after marrying a member of the Children of God as a teenager.
“Isolated, tired, skinny, busy, and pregnant,” she told the Courier, describing the circumstances.
Investigators said the 16 children found inside the Hamden home ranged in age from 18 years to just 18 months old(Image: Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail)
Court records show that Elizabeth Siders gave birth to her first child at 15, after marrying then-18-year-old Gary Siders Jr. in West Virginia.
Separate court documents indicate she later gave birth to twins in multiple pregnancies. Records show she welcomed twins in February 2022, lost a pregnancy involving conjoined twins later that year, and then delivered twins again in January 2024 and January 2025.
Investigators said the 16 children found inside the Hamden home ranged in age from 18 years to just 18 months old.
During a July 1 press conference, Vinton County Sheriff Ryan Cain described the property as a “disgusting scene,” saying many of the children lacked basic education and life skills.
Attorney General Wilson said investigators were stunned by what they encountered
“The oldest child couldn’t write or spell her own name,” Cain said.
He added, “Most of our livestock was kept in better conditions than the children.”
Attorney General Wilson said investigators were stunned by what they encountered upon arriving at the property to serve an arrest warrant for Gary Siders Jr.
“It’s the type of thing that we’re not used to seeing here in America,” Wilson said.