A mother of 16 children from the US state of Ohio has pleaded not guilty in court to the worst abuse case against her own children.

According to American media, the judge increased her bail from 250,000 dollars to 550,000 dollars, showing the risk of the woman escaping.

According to American media, the woman’s 16 children were rescued from a house where they were reportedly living in very poor conditions.

According to media reports, in July, officials investigating the case said they found the children, who ranged in age from 17 months to 18 years old, in dire conditions inside a home in Hamden.

During her appearance in court, the woman kept her hand on her stomach and pleaded not guilty to the charges against her.

According to US media, 34-year-old Elizabeth Siders has been charged with 4 counts of child sexual abuse and 19 counts of child endangerment.

During her appearance in the court, the accused was seen continuously covering and holding her stomach in front of the judge, which once again raised the suspicion that she was pregnant.

American media also spoke to her lawyer, Thomas Stoley, about the allegations against the woman and her pregnancy again.

The woman’s lawyer said Elizabeth, who was married at age 15, was pregnant for most of the past two decades, never fully went through the postpartum period, and did not receive the proper medical care that a mother of 16 or 18 children would require.

According to the American media, the woman and her husband are also accused of sexually abusing a child in 2022, but this affected child is not among these 16 children.

According to media reports, the child was in the custody of the woman and her husband at the time of this allegation. Gary Siders, the husband of the accused, has also denied the allegations against him.