Amy Jacobson 
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PALM BEACH, Fl – After being found guilty of aggravated child abuse, false imprisonment, and neglect of a child, Timothy Ferriter was sentenced on November 16, 2023.
Judge Howard J. Coates, Jr. listened to hours of testimony both in favor of and against Ferriter, and arguments made by both the defense attorney and prosecution. Among the testimony, there was the victim, the defendant’s adopted son Ronan Ferriter, and his eldest child, Fiona Ferriter. Both children spoke on behalf of the state.
Fiona Ferriter described her father as, “a stone statue of a parent.” She talked about the affect the abuse on her younger brother had on her and her other siblings, along with the fear they lived in not knowing when, or if, their father would turn on them.
Ronan Ferriter spoke mostly of love and forgiveness. “I came here today to see your face again. It may be the last, so let’s make this right,” he began as he addressed the defendant, his father, and the court. He went on to speak of the good he seen in his father. “I still love you, and I always will love you, until the end of my days…I just wish you the best. I want to say I will always love you until the end of my days. I just with you the best. I want to say you were everything I needed all along. I want you to be happy whether it is with me or not.”
He then addressed the court in asking for the judge to not go too harsh on his father. “My father was a good person; he just made a very big mistake. Judge Coates, I wish you could sentence my father to 6 months jail time, and 5 years probation.”
The defendant addressed the court as well. He apologized to his children that they have “had to go through this.” He went on to speak of his Catholic faith and how things are done for the benefit of the children. “Everything I have [done] was out of love.” Missing from his address was an acceptance of his actions and them being wrong. He showed no remorse or apology for what he had done, something the judge would later point out.
After listening to all the arguments, evidence, and testimony, the judge ultimately sentenced Ferriter to 60 months, with 37 days credit time, incarceration at the state prison for all three charges, to run concurrent, 5 years of probation on the first charge. He is to have no contact with the 3 older children until age of majority, after which the children may choose to have contact with the defendant. Ferriter is to have 40 hours of anger management course and 40 hours of parenting course. Any contact the youngest child is to be supervised with adoptive mother and is to have no part of the discipline of the child.
Ferriter is to have no contact with any of the children until all probation conditions have been completed. Ferriter is to go through a mental health evaluation and treatment and be fitted with a monitor prior to release from the department of corrections. As a condition of probation, he is charged with costs totally $1,900.
Judge Howard Coates, Jr. granted a motion to hold the defendant in custody of Palm Beach Sherriff’s Office until a hearing on appellate bond can be held.
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