California court ruled Canton officer abusive

6/28/2007

CANTON Months before an Ohio police officer was accused of killing his girlfriend and her fetus, a California court suspended contact between him and his 9-year-old daughter based on a child psychiatrist s report that alleged he was emotionally and physically abusive, court documents show.

Bobby Cutts, Jr., 30, is accused of killing 26-year-old Jessie Davis and her unborn daughter at her northeast Ohio home on June 14. Ms. Davis was missing about a week before her body was found Saturday in a park about 25 miles from her home, still carrying the baby she was due to deliver Tuesday.

Officer Cutts, being held on $5 million bond on two murder charges, will have a preliminary hearing in Canton Municipal Court next week.

Authorities have not determined the cause of Ms. Davis death because of the advanced decomposition of the body.

The office released Ms. Davis remains to her family yesterday, and her funeral is scheduled for Saturday.

Hours before Officer Cutts bond hearing Monday, Stark County Family Court Judge David Stucki dismissed an Ohio custody case between Officer Cutts and his former girlfriend, Nikki Giavasis, over his 9-year-old daughter. Judge Stucki cited the charges against Officer Cutts as one factor in his decision, said Jeffrey Jakmides, an Ohio lawyer representing Ms. Giavasis.

Another custody dispute is ongoing in a court in Los Angeles County, where Ms. Giavasis lives.

A Superior Court judge there on Jan. 17 granted a request by Ms. Giavasis to temporarily suspend visitation rights and telephone and e-mail contact between Officer Cutts and the 9-year-old, citing evidence of physical and emotional abuse perpetrated on the child.

The decision followed a report by Dr. J.H. Carter-Lourensz filed in court on Jan. 11.

The things she remembered, when put together, made a very credible story of concern, Dr. Carter-Lourensz told the Associated Press Tuesday. She had the demeanor of a child who was very frightened.

The 9-year-old stayed with Officer Cutts in his home outside North Canton in April, 2006, and from June to December, 2006, court records show. Ms. Giavasis sought the court order after the girl traveled to California to spend Christmas with her mother, Mr. Jakmides said.

Dr. Carter-Lourensz, a UCLA child psychiatry professor and independent child abuse evaluator, interviewed the girl after Ms. Giavasis requested a review. Dr. Carter-Lourensz wrote in a followup report that the 9-year-old felt sexually unsafe and threatened verbally, emotionally, and physically by Mr. Cutts.

The judge reviewed the report and determined it was enough to keep the 9-year-old in California.

Officer Cutts has another daughter, Breonna, born in 2001 to a woman he married shortly thereafter.

Officer Cutts and Ms. Davis had a 2-year-old son, Blake, and Ms. Davis family members said Officer Cutts was the father of Ms. Davis nearly full-term fetus.

Officer Cutts stepmother, Barbara Cutts, on Monday called her stepson a generous man good with kids who coached youth soccer, basketball, and football.

It s very hard to accept, said Barbara Cutts, 46, a nurse s aide. A lot of people are looking at him like a bad person, but he s not, he really isn t.