How Could You? Hall of Shame-Tracy and Timothy Ferriter UPDATED

This will be an archive of heinous actions by those involved in child welfare, foster care and adoption. We forewarn you that these are deeply disturbing stories that may involve sex abuse, murder, kidnapping and other horrendous actions.

From Jupiter, Florida, adoptive parents Tracy and Timothy Ferriter, both 46, “were arrested for aggravated child abuse and false imprisonment.[on February 8, 2022]”

“A Jupiter couple may have abused and locked up their 14-year-old adopted child in a small garage structure because the teen had an attachment disorder with his parents, a defense attorney argued in court Wednesday.”

“In court Wednesday, a judge set their bond at $50,000 and ordered them to have no contact with their four children unless it’s authorized by the Florida Department of Children and Families.

Hours later, the couple was released on bond.

Jupiter police said the Ferriters forced their 14-year-old adopted son to live in an 8-foot by 8-foot structure in the couple’s garage — located at their home in the …Crane Point North in the Egret Landing community — for years.

The structure had a mattress, bucket and camera inside.

Detectives said the Ferriters had been physically abusing and forcibly confining the teen to live in the garage structure since at least 2017.

The 14-year-old was able to attend school, but was locked up during the remainder of the day while at home, police said. Meals were brought to him and a bucket was provided for bathroom use.

In court Wednesday, defense attorney Nellie King presented documents to Judge Charles Burton that suggested the teen had reactive attachment disorder, a condition in which a child doesn’t form a healthy emotional bond with his or her caretakers.

The documents claimed that disorder may be a reason why the Ferriters locked their son up.

According to a newly released arrest report, Jupiter police first made contact with Tracy Ferriter on Jan. 28 after she had reported her son missing. Ferriter told police her son “has several behavioral disorders” and was in trouble at school the day before.

Two days later, officers went to the Ferriter’s home to see if the 14-year-old had returned, but he had not. Ferriter gave officers permission to enter the home.

In the garage, officers found a structure — described as a “small room with a plain white door” — that Ferriter said the family had built for their son. The door had a deadbolt, which could lock it from the outside.

Inside the room was a box spring and mattress with a gray sheet and pillow, and a desk with school books, children’s books, and a chair. There was a Ring camera mounted above the mattress.

The arrest report stated that officers located the 14-year-old on the campus of Independence Middle School in Jupiter on Jan. 31. The teen told officers his parents lock him in the structure “a lot,” saying he was once locked in the room for up to 18 hours.

According to the report, when officers asked him why he ran away, he said “because I feel like no one loves me” and he did not feel safe at home.

The teen then pleaded with officers to arrest him, saying “he would rather be in prison than be back at home.”

On Feb. 1, police questioned one of the boy’s siblings who said the 14-year-old gets locked in the structure when he’s misbehaving or in trouble.

Police executed a search warrant on the Ring camera and found thousands of videos which showed then teen being locked inside the structure every day, the arrest report stated.

Three other children who were living in the Ferriters home — the youngest of whom is 2 — were removed by DCF.

In court Wednesday, there was no mention of possible abuse against the couple’s other children.

The Ferriters lived in Jupiter for 16 years before moving to Arizona for four years. They had recently moved back to Palm Beach County.”

Jupiter couple may have locked 14-year-old son up because of ‘reactive attachment disorder,’ documents claim
[WTFS 2/10/22 by Matt Papaycik]

“The Ferriters’ four children are in foster care. They have a 3-year-old boy, 13- and 16-year-old girls and the 14-year-old boy.

The couple says their adopted son suffers from violent behavioral issues and that he lied to investigators about what was happening inside the home.

They have not been able to get potential evidence and their children’s lawyer off the case.

They had alleged one or more of their children hacked their email, and that could affect their trial. They wanted a video that the children may have illegally obtained to not be used as evidence, but the judge wanted evidence that either someone from the prosecution or the children’s ad litem Legal Aid Society lawyer asked the children to do the hacking.”

Hearing on evidence against couple charged with aggravated child abuse delayed
[CBS 12 6/9/22]

A search of Palm County, Florida’s court cases files says that a trial will be on May 5, 2023.

REFORM Puzzle Piece

Update:“A Jupiter man convicted of aggravated child abuse after confining one of his children in a windowless, 8-by-8-foot room in his garage for hours at a time received a five-year prison sentence Thursday.

Circuit Judge Howard Coates said Timothy Ferriter also must serve five years of probation once he is released. Coates ruled after hearing statements from Ferriter, the teenage child at the center of the abuse and statements read on behalf of two of Ferriter’s other children.

State prosecutors recommended that Ferriter, 48, receive a 15-year prison term, while the defense sought a term of one in year in prison plus probation.

Coates granted a defense motion to depart from the minimum sentencing guideline of 75 months. He also required that Ferriter take both a 40-hour anger management class and a 40-hour parenting course, and that he undergo a mental health evaluation as a condition of his probation.”

Jupiter father who confined child to room in garage sentenced for aggravated child abuse
[Palm Beach Post 11/17/23 by Julius Whigham II]

Update 2: “It was an emotional day for Tracy Ferriter in court on Monday.

Part of the plea is she will have one year of house arrest – and 10 years of probation.

Those charges came after Tracy Ferriter pled guilty to aggravated child abuse, false imprisonment and neglect of a child.

Ferriter will also be required to undergo mental health evaluations, complete 300 hours of community service, and participate in anger management.”
Tracy Ferriter pleads guilty to locking adopted son in box-like room
[Wpbf 6/24/24 by Jossie Carbonare]