Two Florida parents have been arrested for physically abusing their 14-year-old son and forcibly keeping him in a garage for at least five years.
Both Timothy and Tracy Ferriter, 46, were arrested for aggravated child abuse in Jupiter, Fla.
Detectives were called to the Ferriters’ home after Tracy reported her teen missing, according to a police report.
Upon arrival, police say they found an 8-by-8 structure inside the garage that Tracy allegedly described as a small office.
Police noted the deadbolt and light switch that was on the exterior of the structure, and inside the structure was a mattress, a sheet, a book, and other personal items.
According to WPTV, when the boy returned to school the next day, he told officers that his parents had confined him in the garage structure for up to 18 hours.
The teen allegedly told an officer that he ran away “because I feel like no one loves me.”
It is alleged that the teen pleaded with officers to arrest him, saying “he would rather be in prison than at home.”
The Ferriter’s are accused of physically abusing and forcing the teen to live inside the structure in their garage since 2017.
Authorities allege that the teen was permitted to go to school but was locked up for the remaining hours of the day at home. He received food and had a bucket provided as a toilet.
Court records show that a search warrant issued at the residence discovered thousands of videos from a Ring camera that showed the teen confined within the structure.
According to WPEC, three more children living in the home were removed by Child Protective Services after the Ferriter’s were arrested.
On Wednesday morning, the Ferriter’s appeared in court. Nellie King, their defense attorney, said that the adopted boy suffered from reactive attachment disorder.
According to King, the disease is characterized by a child’s inability to create a healthy emotional attachment with their caregivers.
The Ferriters’ bond was set at $50,000 apiece by a court, and they were instructed not to have contact with their children until the Florida Department of Children and Families granted permission.
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