Breakdown of charges against ‘caregiver and pedophile’ in Detroit girl’s death, more victims

DETROIT – The Detroit man charged in connection with the death and sexual assault of a missing 13-year-old is facing additional charges in connection with the sexual assault of two other children.

41-year-old Jarvis Ramon Butts is charged with a total of eight crimes.

We have broken down the charges by the events in which the alleged assaults took place.

First victim

Butts is alleged to have sexually assaulted a 20-year-old Highland Park woman between April 2012 and April 2014 at a residence on LaSalle Boulevard in Detroit. The victim was believed to have been around 8 to 10 years old at the time of the attacks.

Butts faces the following charges in connection with this attack:

• One count of criminal sexual conduct in the first degree – person under 13 years of age, defendant 17 years of age or older

• Three counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct – person under 13 years of age, defendant 17 years of age or older

Second victim

Between July 2015 and July 2017, a now 13-year-old girl was allegedly sexually assaulted by Butts at a residence on Stout Street in Detroit. The victim was believed to have been around 4 to 6 years old at the time of the attacks.

Butts is charged with second-degree sexual conduct – person under 13 years old, defendant 17 years old or older.

Third victim – Na’Ziyah Harris

13-year-old Na’Ziyah Harris went missing on January 9, 2024. Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said Harris met with Butts the day she disappeared after getting off a school bus at Cornwall Street and 3 Mile Drive and disappeared to Ypsilanti before returning to Detroit, where Butts checked into a motel.

Worthy said investigators have enough evidence that Harris died, but a body has not yet been found. It is alleged that Harris was pregnant with Butts’ child and was seeking an abortion at the time of her disappearance.

Butts and Harris reportedly knew each other because he was the father of her cousins. Harris’ abuse reportedly began in 2022 with sexually explicit texts. Text records allege that Butts knew she was pregnant and that he began researching abortions, abortion pills and drinking red antifreeze on the Internet.

The day after her disappearance, he was tracked to Detroit’s Rouge River, where police later recovered the clothing Harris was last seen. Authorities said there was damage to clothing that could indicate a struggle.

Butts is charged with first-degree murder, child sexual abuse and second-degree criminal sexual conduct in connection with Harris’ assault and death.

Ongoing investigation

Butts is scheduled to be arraigned after 10 a.m. on Friday, September 27, in 36th District Court.

Authorities believe there could be more victims.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the Detroit Police Department Major Crimes Unit at 313-596-2260.

To remain anonymous, you can submit information to Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-SPEAK-UP or visiting their website.