Tenn. man allegedly kidnapped 10-year-old girl from her room, tied her up, assaulted her in the woods

DYER COUNTY, Tenn. (TCN) — A 30-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with the alleged kidnapping and assault of a 10-year-old girl. 

Early in the morning on Sept. 23, a 10-year-old girl, whose name has not been released, was allegedly assaulted and threatened after being forcibly taken from her home. She escaped from her alleged attacker and sought the help of a neighbor as the alleged attacker fled the scene on foot.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation announced that it joined police investigators, the sheriff’s office, and FBI task force members in the ensuing investigation.

According to Crystal Brown, the victim’s mother, the child was taken from her bedroom and dragged to the woods after the alleged attacker removed a window air conditioning unit to gain access to the home, WSMV reports.

Once the suspect got the child into the woods, he allegedly tied her to a tree with his belt, held her at knifepoint, and threatened to rape her, WMC reports.

According to the TBI, evidence collected at the scene and during the investigation underwent rapid DNA testing. This same-day testing linked Steven Devonte Harris to the alleged crime. 

Harris was arrested Sept. 23 and charged with two counts of especially aggravated kidnapping, two counts of aggravated assault, one count of aggravated burglary, and one count of attempted rape of a child, according to the TBI.

WREG reports Harris was indicted in 2020 on charges of aggravated rape, aggravated sexual assault, and aggravated burglary for the 2019 rape of a 95-year-old victim. Harris pleaded down to aggravated assault and served a four-year, six-month sentence.

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