He's since been charged with kidnapping, sexual battery and first-degree murder of the little girl and faces the death penalty if convicted.
As the court was shown graphic images of the youngster's battered body, Dr Rao sobbed and asked to be excused.
State Attorney Melissa Nelson told the court:
"Cherish did not die quickly, and she did not die easily."
"In fact, hers was a brutal and tortured death."The suspect Smith met Cherish and her mother, Rayne Perrywinkle, at a store and allegedly offered to take the family shopping as they were financially down.
They were caught on CCTV at a huge supermarket in Jacksonville, Florida.
Smith allegedly offered to take Cherish to the McDonald's opposite the supermarket.
Realizing Smith had vanished with Cherish, her distraught mother dialed 911 in a heart-wrenching plea for help.
In the call, Rayne tells the operator:
"I don't understand why he [Smith] would leave right now, unless he was going to rape her and kill her."
"I'm wasting my time standing here."The anguished mother continued:
"The only reason I went with him because he said his wife was going to be there."
"I told him I don't take rides with strangers."Cherish's half-naked body — still wearing the same dress orange dress – was found under a fallen tree in a grassy marsh area several miles away the following day.
Smith a registered sex offender since a 1993 conviction for attempted kidnapping and selling obscene materials had just been released from jail for just 21 days when he allegedly abducted and murdered Cherish.
Sex-offender Smith denies the charges against him and the trial continues - and faces the death penalty if convicted.
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