Man sentenced to 10 years in prison for abusing infant daughter

by CONNOR HOLMES
published in the Cape Coral Daily Breeze 4/28/09

A Cape Coral man pleaded guilty to aggravated child abuse Monday for severely beating his then 7-week-old daughter last December, and was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 5 years probation.

Geoffrey Scott Hutson, 42, faced a possible maximum sentence of 30 years in prison if convicted in a jury trial.

"He didn't want to drag anyone through a trial," Assistant Public Defender Kristina Gotera said of Hutson's decision to plead Monday. "He was very remorseful. He loves his daughter, and his son very much."

Hutson was charged with beating his daughter, Avery, over a four-hour period at his Academy Boulevard home, causing "bi-lateral skull fractures, a possible brain injury, swelling on the left side of the brain, a large hematoma on the left side of the head, multiple bruises to her face ... a bruise on the lower left quadrant of her abdomen and bruising to her right scapula," police reports state.

Avery also has a twin brother who lived in the home with Hutson and the twins' mother.

As part of his plea arrangement, Hutson cannot make contact of any kind with his daughter.

Hutson told Lee Circuit Judge Edward Volz he wanted to view state discovery photos of Avery's injuries to see "what I did, to help myself heal."

Hutson initially told 911 dispatchers he had dropped Avery in the bathtub, but when the Department of Children and Families and law enforcement discovered his story was inconsistent with the child's injuries, he admitted to the abuse, police reported.

Gotera requested that upon Hutson's release from prison, his probation be transferred to California, where he would reside with family members. Volz granted the request.