Man murders girl, 13, after getting her pregnant: Police

Jarvis Butts, 41, has been arrested and charged with the murder of 13-year-old Na’Ziyah Harris after Michigan authorities discovered that she was pregnant with his child.

Butts is facing charges of first-degree murder, second-degree criminal sexual conduct and possession of child sexually abusive material, according to Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy.

Na’Ziyah was reported missing on January 9, 2024, by her grandmother after she failed to return home from school. She was last seen getting off a bus near her home on Detroit’s eastside.

Authorities believe that Na’Ziyah met with Butts after school that day, and witnesses saw them together. Later, Butts checked into a hotel, and Na’Ziyah has not been seen or heard from since.

Although her body has not been found, Worthy said they are confident that Na’Ziyah is deceased. She has had no contact with her family, friends, or social media since her disappearance. She missed school and failed to attend her 14th birthday on September 16.

Investigators revealed that Butts had been grooming and sexually assaulting Na’Ziyah since 2022. Shortly before her disappearance, Na’Ziyah discovered she was pregnant and informed Butts, who had reportedly been searching for ways to terminate the pregnancy.

“He knew she was pregnant. We know that he was also searching for ways to abort the baby,” Worthy said.

Investigators also found sexually explicit photos of the young girl on Butts’ phone. Authorities uncovered that Butts had a pattern of grooming and targeting other young girls.

Prosecutors also charged Butts in connection with two other cases involving girls under the age of 13. One victim, now 20, was allegedly sexually abused between 2012 and 2014, while another girl, now 13, was abused between 2015 and 2017.

Worthy stated that Butts had a history of befriending women to gain access to their young daughters, describing him as a “classic and expert groomer and pedophile.”

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Butts, a convicted sex offender, previously had children with Na’Ziyah’s aunt. He has been in jail since August on unrelated charges.

Records show that Butts was previously convicted of criminal sexual conduct with a victim between the ages of 13 and 15. He is scheduled to be arraigned on the new charges related to Na’Ziyah’s case, as well as the charges involving the other two victims on Friday.