(NewsNation) — A Vinton County judge will now decide whether Gary Siders Jr., the father accused in Ohio’s so-called “House of Horrors” child endangerment case, is mentally competent to stand trial.

Siders’ attorney, R. Lee Roberts Jr., filed a motion Friday asking the court to order a psychiatric competency evaluation, People first reported. Roberts also asked the court to seal the motion, arguing it concerns Siders’ current mental condition and contains “highly sensitive mental health information.”

What happens if Gary Siders Jr. is found incompetent to stand trial?

If a judge finds Siders incompetent, the case would likely be paused, not dismissed. Under Ohio law, a defendant must understand the charges against them and be able to assist in their own defense before a trial can proceed.

A finding of incompetency typically results in treatment, often at a state psychiatric facility, aimed at restoring competency through medication, education about the legal process or other interventions.

Once doctors determine that a defendant understands the proceedings and can assist in their defense, the case resumes where it left off. Competency and insanity are separate legal issues. A finding of incompetency does not determine guilt or innocence; it only addresses whether someone can currently stand trial.

Siders Jr., 36, faces 16 felony counts of child endangerment, along with four misdemeanor public indecency charges in a separate case. He has pleaded not guilty and remains jailed on a $300,000 bond. A hearing on the misdemeanor charges has been postponed until Aug. 13.

The charges stem from a June 30 raid on the family’s rental home in Hamden, Ohio, where authorities said they found 16 children, ages 18 months to 18 years, living in squalid conditions. Siders’ wife, Elizabeth Siders, and his parents, Gary Siders Sr. and Christina Siders, were also arrested and each face the same 16 child endangerment charges.

Has anyone else in the Siders case raised competency concerns?

Gary Siders Sr., 73, underwent a similar evaluation process earlier this month after his attorney said he showed “significant confusion” about the legal proceedings and struggled to answer basic questions about himself.

Siders Sr.’s bond was later modified to a recognizance release after he was hospitalized following a fall.

Ohio’s attorney general calls the Siders case ‘pure evil’

Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson has described the conditions investigators found in the home as “pure evil,” saying the case continues to reveal unimaginable circumstances the children were forced to endure.

Elizabeth Siders’ attorney, Tommy Stolly, told NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo that she “does not come across as pure evil,” despite how he believes she has been portrayed in media coverage.

The 16 children remain in state custody receiving medical and psychological care, and the case has been referred to a grand jury.

A gag order remains in effect for Siders Jr., barring officials from publicly discussing details related to his case. A second gag order covering Christina Siders was granted Thursday.