JUPITER, Fla. — A Jupiter couple accused of locking their adopted 14-year-old son locked inside a small structure in the family's garage pleaded not guilty Wednesday, according to court records.
Timothy and Tracy Ferriter were arrested on charges of aggravated child abuse and false imprisonment early in February after the teenager ran away from the home.
Officers found the teen three days later on the campus of Independence Middle School in Jupiter.
Jupiter police said the boy was being forced to live in an 8-foot-by-8-foot structure in the couple's garage — located at their home in the 200 block of Crane Point North in the Egret Landing community — since at least 2017.
Police also acquired thousands of videos that showed the teen being locked inside the structure every day.
Three other children who were living in the Ferriters home — the youngest of whom is 2 — were removed by the Florida Department of Children and Families. The couple isn't allowed to have any contact with them unless it's authorized by DCF.
The hearing scheduled for Thursday has been canceled.
