CYPRESS – A Cypress police officer arrested Wednesday over accusations that he had molested his daughter was released from jail Friday without being charged.

Ross Bowlin, 27, had filed for partial custody of his children two weeks before the accusations were made.

Riverside County prosecutors sent the case back to the Murrieta Police Department for further investigation, said John Hall, spokesman for the Riverside District Attorney’s Office.

Bowlin, a former Marine, has been on administrative leave from the Cypress Police Department since November over an unrelated matter, said Capt. Jackie Gomez-Whiteley.

According to Orange County Family Court records, Bowlin was allowed to a visit with his 5-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter every Thursday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

His ex-wife, Corina Shauntele Bowlin, was allowed to monitor the visits herself, or have her mother monitor them.

Bowlin was accused of molesting his daughter during the May 27 visit. The same day, Corina Shauntele called the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, which referred the investigation to authorities in Murrieta, where the crime was alleged to have taken place.

Two weeks earlier, on May 13, Bowlin filed papers for joint legal and physical custody of his children, whom he had given up in a divorce settlement 23 months earlier.

Sgt. Jim Ganley of the Murrieta Police Department said that investigators were aware that the accusations came within the context of a custody battle, where false accusations are sometimes used as weapons.

“That’s the first thing we looked into, which is why it took so long to get the warrant,” Ganley said. “Cop or no cop, we don’t want to send somebody to jail for life if he’s innocent.”

Detectives served a search warrant in the 23000 block of Cork Oak Circle, Murrieta, at 8:30 a.m. June 9, and arrested Bowlin afterward.

Bowlin was cooperative, but denied the accusation, police said.

The evidence against Bowlin includes disclosure of abuse by his daughter, police said. Ganley declined to say whether there was any corroborating evidence.

Verifying sexual abuse of prepubescent girls is very difficult, with clear physical findings present in around 3 percent of the cases, according to researchers.

In the couple’s divorce settlement agreement of June 16, 2008, Ross Bowlin surrendered custody of the children, and agreed to pay $2700 a month in child support, well over the $1,656 set out in state guidelines.

In September 2008, Corina Shauntele filed a restraining order against him, accusing him of belligerence, of grabbing her by the arm during a dispute over child support, and of making subtle threats in setting his gun on dressers or tables.

Bowlin argued that he couldn’t afford his child support payments because his overtime was being cut, court records show.

In November 2009, a judge agreed, finding that state guidelines called for him to pay just $1,548 in child support.

On May 13, Bowlin filed for new custody terms, with longer weekly visits, and overnight visits every other week.

Bowlin could not be reached for comment.

Contact the writer: jcassidy@ocregister.com or 714-704-3782