WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — Polk County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) announced Thursday the arrest of a Winter Haven High School teacher for sexual battery of a 15-year-old student "numerous times."
PCSO said 55-year-old Otis Cutshaw met the student at Winter Haven High. Cutshaw is also listed as the boy’s tennis coach, according to the report.
The PCSO started its investigation on July 22, when it uncovered Cutshaw was in an inappropriate relationship with the teen girl.
Detectives said the student had been engaged in sexual activities with Cutshaw since school ended in May 2026. They had been messaging through apps like GroupMe. The teen girl told detectives she had encounters occurred frequently at the start of summer and that frequency escalated to daily in the past week.
Using forensic analysis, PCSO detectives found on the student's phone "numerous pictures, videos, and messages all predominately sexual in nature including photographs and videos of Cutshaw" exposing himself and engaging in sexual activities that he had sent the 15-year-old girl.
PCSO said Cutshaw told the teen girl during a phone call that he deleted their chat history, while asking her what she told officials so they could "match their stories."
Cutshaw, who PCSO is married and father of two children, admitted to investigators, he was traveling to the girl’s home and engaging in sexual activities without a condom about five times, while her parents were not at home, according to PCSO's report.
Cutshaw also admitted to detectives he sent nude photos and videos to the girl, provided gifts, and telling her to delete their chat history because he knew officials were coming to his house.
PCSO said Cutshaw also told detectives that despite the current situation, he seeks to eventually be able to marry the student.
Cutshaw is facing the following charges:
- 5 counts of sexual battery by custodial figure
- 5 counts of traveling to meet a minor
- 5 counts of unlawful use of a two-way communication device
- 7 counts of transmission of harmful material to a minor
- 8 counts of possession of obscene material depicting a minor
- 1 count of use of a device to solicit sexual conduct with a minor
- 1 count of child pornography
- 1 count of offenses against students by authority figures
- 1 count of lewd molestation
- 1 count of tampering with physical evidence
Fred Heid, superintendent of Polk County Public Schools, said the following about the case, "We are disgusted to hear that someone entrusted with educating and protecting children has been arrested for such unacceptable behavior. We are terminating his employment, and he will have no further involvement with our students. The school district will continue to cooperate fully with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office investigation, and we appreciate deputies moving so quickly to address this situation."
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