Man Restrained Wife In Stocks, Chained Up Son As Part Of 'Ritualized Abuse'

For many who practice religion, their faith isn't an excuse to demean and abuse people. But for Dana Andrew Furtney, 49, of Priest River, Idaho, it was.

For years, Furtney physically, sexually and verbally abused his wife and several children, which he justified through his religious beliefs, reported the Idaho Statesman. On Thursday, Furtney was convicted of sexual abuse of a child, ritualized abuse, domestic violence and multiple counts of lewd conduct. It only took two hours for the jurors to deliberate and come to this conclusion. His sentencing is scheduled for May.

The abuse took place at the Furtney family home in Priest River from 2009 to 2013, reported the Statesman. He was accused of chaining his son inside a tunnel located on their property and tying him to an outhouse wall for an entire week. The boy was given limited food and water, according to the Bonner County Daily Bee. Furtney also reportedly forced the boy ingest Furtney’s feces.

Along with those charges, Furtney was accused of groping his daughters as well as locking his wife in a stockade, where she was assaulted and forced to sodomize herself with a foreign object.

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Directly against the advice of his attorney, Furtney took the stand last week.

He admitted that it was his idea for his son to consume feces and admitted that he may have touched the girls inappropriately during massages. When pressed by the prosecution, however, Furtney said that the abuse was not for his own sexual gratification.

Furtney’s attorney said the abuse was his version of “discipline” and nothing more. It is unclear if Furtney plans to appeal at this time. 

[Photo: Bonner County Sheriff's Office]