2023-10-12 21:09:00
A Florida man who authorities said forced his adopted teen son to live in a structure in their garage for years was found guilty of multiple charges Thursday.
Timothy Ferriter, of Jupiter, was found guilty of aggravated child abuse, false imprisonment and child neglect, WPTV reported.
Jurors began deliberations Thursday and quickly found Ferriter guilty on all three charges.
Ferriter and his wife, Tracy Ferriter, were arrested in February 2022 by Jupiter Police.
Timothy Ferriter, Tracy Ferriter
According to police, the couple had abused the then 13-year-old and forcibly confined him to live in the garage since at least 2017.
The teen had been living in an 8X8-foot structure in the garage that was described by Tracy Ferriter as a small office, officials said.
The structure had a doorknob and deadbolt that both locked from the outside, along with a light switch on the exterior.
Inside the structure were a camera, mattress and bucket, police said.
The teen had been allowed to attend school but was confined the rest of the day in the structure, where he was brought meals and forced to use the bucket to go to the bathroom, police said.
During the trial, the teen testified regarding the conditions he was forced to live in. Defense attorneys said the boy’s behavior issues forced the parents to construct the garage room to keep their other children safe.
Timothy Ferriter will be sentenced next month.
Tracy Ferriter is facing similar charges and is being tried separately, though her trial hasn’t been set.
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