Tim Ferriter and his wife Tracy, who were arrested for locking their teenage adopted son for hours in a windowless, small structure in the garage of the Ferriter family in 2022, have also been found guilty of false confinement and neglect. They could face up to 30 years behind bars.

A Florida father was convicted on charges of child abuse, including aggravated child neglect. He had locked his adopted son in an 8x8-inch box without windows in the garage for more than 10 hours each day.

Law&Crime reports that Timothy Ferriter, according to Law&Crime was found guilty on Thursday of three counts of child abuse: aggravated, false imprisonment and neglect. The jury took approximately 4.5 hour to reach the guilty verdict. Tim Ferriter's face was blank when the verdict was announced, but his wife Tracy Ferriter, who is accused of the exact same charges as Tim Ferriter, cried behind Tim.

According to the local ABC affiliate WPBF, Palm Beach County jurors heard seven days of testimony. This included hours of video footage taken from a Ring Camera that showed the interior of the small building, where the boy had only a bucket as a toilet.

WPBF previously reported that the video showed Tim cursing and throwing objects around the room. He reportedly also threatened to lock the boy up in the box for much longer if he kept acting out at school.

Ferriter, a Florida resident, first found the box in the garage after his teen son ran away. This was back in January 2022. The room was already known to police by the contractors who had built it. Once authorities located the boy, the boy allegedly said that it was the place where he spent up to 16-18 hour.

Law&Crime reports that, according to the evidence presented at the trial, the teen had been locked up in a similar structure since he was 11 years old in the former Arizona home of the family. According to Law&Crime, the boy was locked in a similar structure at his family's former Arizona home since he was 11.

In February 2022, Timothy Ferriter and Tracy Ferriter both 48-year-olds, , were arrested in Jupiter, Florida.

The Ferriters son gave testimony in court earlier this month about the conditions he was held in the 8x8-foot structure. The boy who was 14 when his parents were arrested in 2022 took the witness stand against his father. He described the mistreatment of his parents as "dehumanizing" but also stated that he thought they made a mistake and other people should "forgive and move on."

The son of the Ferriters testified that the 8x8 windowless room was constructed inside the garage. He said the structure was built with a twin bed on a concrete slab, had no windows and an air conditioner, but he could not control it. The boy said he was kept in complete darkness at times, and that locks on the exterior prevented him from leaving alone.

He added that the room sometimes smelled "putrid." He claimed that he received water "occasionally but not regularly."

He said that being locked up in a small room was dehumanizing. It's almost worse than genocide. It is sad to abuse a kid who was acting like a kid." He said that if he refused to comply, he would have been "put in the room physically" and that his father had "smacked him" on the face.

"I used a bucket to collect urine and feces. "#TimothyFerriter takes the witness stand in the #BoyInTheBoxTrial.
"RF" says his only option for a bathroom was to use a bucket in an 8x8 cell where Timothy allegedly locked him up.#CourtTV What do YOU think? pic.twitter.com/t4gSPQReDU

Court TV (@CourtTV), October 4, 2023

The defense claimed that Tim and his spouse had to make "tough decisions" regarding their son because of his behavior issues. According to WPTV a defense witness, Dr. Shielarapa, said that the teenager suffers from a "reactive attachment disorders" -- which is a condition where a child does not form a healthy bond with his parents or guardians.

Tim's attorney, Prya Murad, said that Tim's actions were a simple case of "bad parenthood," and did not rise to criminal status. He claimed that the room had been used for "monitoring the child."

Murad stated that "bad parenting does not mean a person is guilty of a crime." It makes them human. It makes them parents who are trying to figure out how to deal with a child that has escalating and consistent behavioral issues.

Murad announced on Thursday that they are shocked by the verdict and will appeal.

She told WPBF that she was "devastated" by the outcome. This man had a family, a wife, and he didn't have a criminal record. He also lost his children. We believe the rulings against the defense were unfair.

Tim was taken to prison after Thursday's guilty verdict. Tim faces up to thirty years in prison and his sentencing date is November 16. Tim had previously rejected a plea bargain for two years.

Tracy's court trial was originally scheduled to start late last month. However, it was subsequently canceled. According to Law&Crime and Palm Beach County court documents, Tracy's trial has not yet been rescheduled.

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Title: Florida Father Accused of Locking Teen Son in 8x8 Box Convicted of Child Abuse
Sourced From: www.toofab.com/2023/10/14/florida-father-tim-ferriter-adopted-son-locked-box-convicted-child-abuse/
Published Date: Sat, 14 Oct 2023 19:17:24 +0000

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