Tracy Ferriter, 48, will not face prison time after pleading guilty to felony charges of aggravated child abuse, false imprisonment, and child neglect in a case that shocked the community.
Ferriter and her husband, Timothy Ferriter, were accused of confining their adopted teenage son in an 8-foot by 8-foot box in the garage of their Jupiter home. The boy, who suffered from reactive attachment disorder (RAD), was reportedly kept in the windowless box furnished only with a bed, a bucket, and a camera. According to reports, his only respite from the box was attending school.
During a hearing on Monday, Tracy Ferriter tearfully admitted to the charges, emphasizing the challenges the family faced due to her son’s behavioral issues. “We were living a life that’s not what is portrayed in the media,” she told the court. “There was a lot of things that nobody knew. We were a completely loving family. I love my kids. We just tried to do the best that we could with what we had.”
The case came to light when their son ran away from home, prompting their arrest by Jupiter police in February 2022. Timothy Ferriter was convicted last October and sentenced to five years in prison on similar charges.
Tracy Ferriter’s defense argued that the couple were not abusive but had made a misguided decision in disciplining their son. In sentencing, Circuit Court Judge Howard Coates ordered Tracy Ferriter to serve 10 years of probation, complete 300 hours of community service, undergo a mental health evaluation, attend anger management and parenting classes, and prohibited her from contacting her husband or son.
Defense attorney Marc Shiner commented after the hearing, stating, “Even though she had a very good chance of being exonerated, she really wanted to put this to rest so her children could have some peace.”
Independent.co.uk
