Daughter Alleged Abuse by Accused Murderer Bobby Cutts

The daughter of Bobby Cutts' ex-girlfriend alleged he physically abused her.

ByABC News
January 8, 2009, 12:15 AM

June 27, 2007 — -- Bobby Cutts Jr., the man charged with murdering Jessie Davis and her unborn child, had been accused of abusing his daughter from another relationship, according to court documents obtained by ABC News.

A report filed with a Stark County Family Court in Ohio alleges that Cutts physically and verbally assaulted his daughter, at times "hitting, biting, and throwing objects" at the girl.

The allegations were filed during a bitter custody battle between Cutts and the girl's mother, Cutts' ex-girlfriend Nikki Giavasis. In January 2007, a California doctor, Janice Carter-Lourensz, examined the girl and issued a report citing "reason to suspect child abuse and neglect by Mr. Cutt's [sic]."

In that interview, the 9-year-old daughter said that during extended stays with Cutts she was subjected to "multiple, disturbing events of verbal, emotional and physical abuse."

"He hits me and it hurts, especially when he throws a TV remote or water bottle at [me]. He just laughs and says he's just playing," the girl told her medical examiner.

The report describes Cutts making sexually inappropriate comments to his daughter, though no physical sexual assault is alleged.

In addition to the 9-year-old, Cutts is also the father of Davis's 2-year-old son, Blake, as well as Davis' unborn child. He he has another child with a third woman to whom he is currently married, but the two are believed to be estranged.

The 9-year-old also described an alleged incident in which Cutts spanked Blake, his 2-year-old son by the deceased Jessie Davis. Spanking does not necessarily constitute child abuse under Ohio law.

Blake is now under the care of Jessie Davis' mother, Patricia Porter.

After the allegations of child abuse were filed, a California judge ruled that the 9-year-old remain in her mother's custody. Shortly after Cutts was charged murdering Davis, an Ohio judge dismissed pending legal action to have the girl transferred to his care.

In 2006, months before the January 2007 report of alleged abuse, Family Court Judge David Stucki had granted primary custody of the girl to Cutts. As justification, the court cited her mother's frequent career-driven relocations and the relative stability of Cutts' home and extended family in Ohio.

Jason Reese, Cutts' attorney during the custody proceedings, declined to comment when approached by ABC News. In court documents Cutts referred to some of the abuse allegations as "ludicrous."