Florida Parents Accused Of Imprisoning Son In 'Strange' Room

JUPITER, FL — Two Florida parents are accused of imprisoning their 14-year-old son against his will in a small room built in their garage, according to Palm Beach County court documents.

Tracy and Timothy Ferriter were charged with aggravated child abuse and false imprisonment and were released on $50,000 bond Wednesday, court documents show.

The parents paid a contractor in December 2021 to construct an 8 foot by 8 foot room in their garage that locked and had a door knob only from the outside. The contractor contacted police and told them of the "very strange" room, according to a probable cause affidavit.

The Jupiter Police Department recovered thousands of videos from a camera in the room showing the son being locked in the room, yelled at and forced to use a bucket to defecate in the room, which has no running water.

Interviews with a previous neighbor and the owner of the Ferriters' previous house revealed a similar room existed when the Ferriters lived there, according to the affidavit.

The son told officials the longest he had been locked in the room was 16 to 18 hours and that he had been spanked with belts and jump ropes while being bent over the bed naked. Interviews with his three siblings confirmed his story, the affidavit said.

The children were interviewed by Child Protective Services.

The investigation into the parents began after they filed a missing persons report on their son in late January. Officers from the Jupiter Police Department found the room at the house and later found the son near Independence Middle School in Jupiter. The son asked not to return to his family and told police he was having suicidal thoughts, court documents show.

He was taken to JFK North Medical Center in West Palm Beach for evaluation and later released.

Jupiter police found the room equipped with a box spring, mattress and desk with a foldable chair and school supplies. When questioned about the room, Tracy first told police the structure was an office, then said it was for storage when questioned about the exterior lock.

She later said it was a space used by all their children.

When asked about the bed, police said Tracy admitted her son sometimes used the room, according to court documents.