Sixteen Children Rescued From Wretched Conditions in Rural Ohio Home

Sixteen children from the same family rescued from a dilapidated rural home in the United States were living in wretched conditions with human waste all around and confined to one room over much of the past four years, authorities say.

Some of the children discovered in the tiny village of Hamden, one of Ohio's poorest counties, on Tuesday, local time, were unable to speak and an 18-year-old — who was developmentally disabled — was unable to write her name, investigators said.

"Just a disgusting scene."

The children's parents and two grandparents were charged with felony child endangerment, a prosecutor said.

Authorities found the children while carrying out a search warrant in an unrelated investigation, Ohio Attorney-General Andy Wilson said on Wednesday, local time, at a news conference.

Officials said it seemed as if no-one outside the family knew about the children, who were not enrolled in school.

"We didn't know there were going to be 16 kids there," Mr Wilson said.

"It's the type of thing that we're not used to seeing here in America."

Rescued children looked like 'feral animals'

The sheriff said it appeared the children spent most of their time in a room that was approximately 3.5 square metres.

He did not disclose how the kids were kept inside the home, but said authorities did not find any cages in the house.

The children ranged in age from one-and-a-half years to 18 years old and included both boys and girls, officials said.

Seven were taken to hospitals in the Ohio capital Columbus, and two were flown by helicopter.

One child was in a critical condition on Tuesday while some of the others were admitted for care, Mr Wilson said.

The children were in temporary custody of the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services.

Vinton County prosecuting attorney William Archer said the four adults were charged with second-degree felony child endangering because it involves "serious physical harm".

Gary Siders Jr, Gary Siders Sr, Christina Siders and Elizabeth Siders appeared in court on Wednesday, where a judge entered not guilty pleas on their behalf and set bond at $US300,000 ($435,347) for each.

They have not yet been assigned lawyers.

Steve Irwin, a spokesperson for the attorney-general's office, would not say whether all of the children are siblings or how they were related.

Neighbour saw 'no kids at all'

The house where the children were found sits on a road tucked away alongside a steep railroad embankment, where tracks carry rumbling trains through Hamden.

The closest neighbours are separated by trees and thick brush, but the house is easily visible from the road.

An open door revealed bits of trash inside, while a wooden deck and the backyard were filled with discarded tyres, a high chair and other debris.

Investigators said members of the family had moved around southern Ohio over the past two decades and that it looked as though they had avoided setting up medical and government records.

"These folks were pretty good at hiding these kids," Mr Wilson said.

Investigators were reviewing whether the family was reported to any children's services agencies in the past.

Neighbour Joseph Stewart, 60, said he saw "no kids at all" since the family moved in three houses down and that he could clearly see the house and yard when passing by.

"It's a sad situation," he said.

Mr Stewart has lived on the street for six years and called it "a quiet neighbourhood".

On Wednesday, the home's doors and windows stood open to the sweltering heat. A tangle of discarded children's items — two busted bicycles, a plastic play table, a beach pail and two infant carriers — stood in a pile in the yard.

Hamden has a population of less than 1,000 people and is located approximately 97 kilometres south-east of Columbus.