GUILTY FL - Boy in a Box abuse trial - Parents, Timothy & Tracy Ferriter Arrested, Jupiter, Feb 2022

[arielilane]

WATCH LIVE: Imprisoned Son Trial — FL v. Timothy Ferriter — Day Five​

Florida man Timothy Ferriter is accused of locking up his adopted son inside of a room he had built in the family’s garage. Ferriter faces charges of aggravated child abuse, false imprisonment and neglect of a child. Court records out of Jupiter, Florida show that the door to the room had a deadbolt on the outside, along with multiple other locks. Investigators also found video from a ceiling camera that showed Ferriter allegedly punching, throwing, and beating the son multiple times. When Ferriter's son wasn't in school, he allegedly was locked in the room — only allowed out to eat or sometimes use the restroom.

 

[Jurisprudence]

I recall another article (unable to locate) stating also that he stayed at a friend's home.

From the article:

For instance, the boy told police he ran away and hid under a bridge with a homeless man, when in fact, he slept at a friend’s house and earlier in the day, stole money from a woman’s handbag at church.

Boy in the Box case trial set to begin Friday

Mon, September 25th 2023, 5:00 AM EDT

Makes you wonder why he stayed silent. Maybe he thought if he spoke up he'd be returned to the very place (and people) he was running from - home.

jmo

 

[arielilane]

Other live streaming options:

LIVE: Defense to continue presenting its case in Jupiter child abuse trial

https://twitter.com/x/status/1711731855672979762

 

[arielilane]

Timeline: Trial for Jupiter man accused of locking adopted teenage son in a box for hours

Timothy Ferriter's charges stem from claims he and his wife locked their 14-year-old adopted son in a box-like room in their Jupiter garage for hours at a time.

www.wpbf.com

Updated: 8:59 AM EDT Oct 10, 2023

 

[arielilane]

Dr. Rapa: this was a child that has no internal controls and lots of times when parents have a child with no internal controls they do try to exert external controls…of course this was beyond the pale.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1711737688481530255

 

[arielilane]

Defense psychologist disagrees with state expert who called teen's situation solitary confinement - says she saw videos of him with family, eating, doing yard work, watching football, so he wasn't continually in the box room

https://twitter.com/x/status/1711740660477206869

 

[arielilane]

Defense psychologist says boy suffered extreme early neglect in Vietnamese orphanage - malnourished, scabies, not enough adult care - which impacted his brain and subsequent impulse control - she says this was all before the Ferriter's adopted him

Dr. Rapa "I do not think they were maliciously trying to harm their child in this case" regarding Ferriter's efforts to deal with boy who had reactive attachment disorder

https://twitter.com/x/status/1711746782772789264

 

[arielilane]

DAY 5 of #FLvFerriter is happening now. The Defense called their own forensic psychologist expert who says the three years in the 8x8 box isn’t “quite” like solitary confinement because he was let out daily & had stimulation from other things most days.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1711741976041619615

 

[Jurisprudence]

Half able to pay attention to this while working but I feel so bad for this kid. The defense is on a mission to destroy him. I hope he isn't seeing this. I hope he's not watching.

jmo

 

[arielilane]

10 min recess

 

[Weki]

I find it so hard to swallow that an expert would come and defend this abuse and say it wasn’t that bad! Wow

Agree @Jurisprudence this trial is abuse by proxy. That’s why I find it so gross that he chose to take it to trial when he was offered such a good deal. He prob would’ve been out in 7 months for good behavior.

JMO

 

[arielilane]

Court is back in session.

 

[RickshawFan]

It is discussed in the arrest affidavit. A neighbor? is quoted as saying there was a “creepy” room in the garage that the new owners tore out. JPD later made contact with the new owners who confirmed it. They said the realtor touted it as a ‘bonus room.’ I hope they at least reversed the door handles back.



After the State rested Friday, Defense moved for dismissal. There was a lengthy discussion about the Aggravated Child Abuse charge and the ‘great bodily harm’ requirement not being met since it must be a physical injury not mental. Ms. Brown indicated they were downgrading to Child Abuse. The penalty for that charge is up to five years.

There's more than one clause in the aggravated child abuse charge. As far as I can tell, the other clause was kept, and the judge insisted that it be kept.

 

[RickshawFan]

dbm

 

[Weki]

Am I crazy or do these behaviors (alleged dangerous) are not that out of the ordinary for a kid of this age? He’s not the most well behaved child but he doesn’t seem out of control either!

Even if we take out the trauma and abuse and let’s say his parents were divorcing, this all feels manageable and not that scary to me. Am I missing something?

JMO

 

[arielilane]

Am I crazy or do these behaviors (alleged dangerous) are not that out of the ordinary for a kid of this age? He’s not the most well behaved child but he doesn’t seem out of control either!

Even if we take out the trauma and abuse and let’s say his parents were divorcing, this all feels manageable and not that scary to me. Am I missing something?

JMO

I've thought the same all along. Typical child and behavior and the parents' behavior caused the child to act out in an extreme way in order to get (love) attention.

RF said during his testimony that a child wasn't just acting like a child not thinking like an adult, I certainly can relate to that, and hope the jury can too.

MOO

 

[arielilane]

On Cross, prosecutor Brianna Coakley drills down on defense psychologist: Was locking a boy with attachment disorder in a garage box room "the worse way ever someone could manage these behaviors, correct? " "Correct " agrees the witness

https://twitter.com/x/status/1711769536708432275

 

[Weki]

Defense expert turning into a prosecution witness. She’s agreeing that they abused the child, essentially.

JMO

 

[arielilane]

Well done, Attorney Coakley! moo

 

[RickshawFan]

Am I crazy or do these behaviors (alleged dangerous) are not that out of the ordinary for a kid of this age? He’s not the most well behaved child but he doesn’t seem out of control either!

Even if we take out the trauma and abuse and let’s say his parents were divorcing, this all feels manageable and not that scary to me. Am I missing something?

JMO

I don't think he ever even got suspended from school.