LOGAN — A 39-year-old West Valley City man has been booked into the Cache County Jail for allegedly kidnapping a 17-year-old North Logan girl, who he was having a relationship with, and taking her to Oregon. Christoffer Alan Harris was extradited back to Utah after a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Harris was arraigned Monday, May 13, in Logan’s 1st District Court during a virtual hearing, appearing by web conference from jail. He was charged with 50 various crimes including rape, aggravated human trafficking, aggravated kidnapping, aggravated sexual exploitation of a minor and other felonies.
According to the arrest affidavit, the alleged victim’s family contacted North Park Police officers on Dec. 12, 2023. They claimed their daughter was missing and had been last seen the night before.
The family told police the alleged victim had left without her cell phone or a change of clothes. It was learned that the girl had been communicating through a gaming device with someone identifying themselves as “Pepper # 3994.”
With the help of FBI investigators, the user name was tracked to Harris. Police were able to trace his cell phone to the Salt Lake City area until it was shut off or powered down, according to the warrant.
Officers were later able to find an email from Harris to a woman in Provo, asking if she wanted to join Harris and the alleged victim in sexual activity. The email was sent five days after the girl went missing.
On Dec. 19, police were able to track Harris’ cell phone to a residence near Burns, Oregon. Police also found messages that had been sent previously, where the suspect and girl were making arrangements to run away together.
Investigators contacted the Oregon State Police and requested their assistance. Officers went to the residence in Burns and witnessed a vehicle leaving the same area Harris’ phone had been pinged to. They initiated a traffic stop and found the alleged victim and Harris inside the car. She was later reunited with her family and the suspect was booked into jail on local charges.
During Monday’s arraignment, Cache County Deputy Attorney Mark Winkel asked for the court to hold Harris in jail without bail. He said the suspect posed a risk to the alleged victim and the community if released.
Judge Angela Fonnesbeck agreed with Winkel and ordered Harris to remain in jail. She also assigned him a public defender after he claimed to be unemployed since 2017.
Harris will appear again in court May 22. He could face up to life in prison, if convicted.
Individuals arrested and charged in complaints are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.