Woman who locked adopted son, 14, in box as 'punishment' tears up while learning she will not have to serve jail time
A woman accused of locking her adopted 14-year-old son in a box as 'punishment' will not go to jail.
Tracy Ferriter, 48, pleaded guilty to one count each of third-degree child neglect, third-degree felony imprisonment, and first-degree aggravated child abuse.
Atlanta Black Star reports the 48-year-old admitted she and her husband, Timothy, locked their adopted son in a box - which was just eight-foot-by-eight-foot - as a 'disciplinary' measure.
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They claimed this was to punish him for lying, threatening classmates, stealing valuables, and attacking relatives.
The couple, from Florida, adopted the child when he was a toddler, and said that he had ADHD and Reactive Attachment Disorder.
The latter is a condition which makes it more difficult for a child to form emotional attachments.
Following her guilty plea on Monday (June 24), Circuit Judge Howard Coates handed Ferriter 10 years probation and a year of house arrest, meaning that she would not be going to jail.
She was also ordered to fulfil other conditions, including paying a $2,000 fine, having a mental health evaluation, completing 300 hours of community service, as well as being banned from having any contact with the victim, who is now in foster care.
Ferriter became tearful in a press conference after the hearing, saying: "We were living a life that's not what is portrayed in the media."
She went on to insist that they were a 'loving family', adding: "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."
Ferriter and her husband were arrested in February 2022 after the child ran away from home.
He went on to tell police that he had run away 'because I feel like nobody loves me'.
Shortly after, the couple were taken into custody by Jupiter Police.
Last year, Timothy was found guilty of the same charges and sentenced to five years in prison, followed by five years probation.
Though Ferriter’s case had to be delayed while she looked for an attorney to represent her.
Investigators found thousands of videos on the Ring camera of the abuse, the arrest report stated.
An affidavit states: "[The victim] stated the spankings would take place in his bedroom and he would be naked bent over his bed. [The victim] stated he could recall one spanking was so painful he fell off his bed in pain."
Kit Roberts