The brother of a missing Portage mother’s ex-boyfriend was arrested Tuesday.
wwmt.com
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — The brother of a missing Portage mother’s ex-boyfriend was arrested Tuesday.
Jordan Watts was charged with sexual exploitation of a child, a felony punishable by up to 30 years, according to federal court documents.
During the investigation into Heather Kelley's December 2022 disappearance, detectives said they discovered a cell phone call made by Kelley's ex-boyfriend Carlos Watts Jr. from within the Newaygo County Jail to his brother Jordan Watts.
In the call, Jordan Watts admitted to having sex with the victim, a 16-year-old girl, according to federal court documents. He claimed the victim was 20 years old.
However, text messages between Jordan Watts and the victim show he was aware of her being a minor, documents reveal.
Detectives obtained the cell phone when Jordan Watts' was arrested May 10 as a person of interest in assisting his brother after Kelley's disappearance, detectives said.
After obtaining a search warrant, they found evidence of the child *advertiser censored* on the same cell phone, documents show.
Jordan Watts’ arrest comes after his brother requested to withdraw his July 3 guilty plea for his escape from Kalamazoo Probation Enhancement Program, or KPEP, Dec. 12.
Officers found Kelley's burnt car in Kalamazoo on Dec. 11, one day after she was reported missing, federal court documents showed.
Her blood, hair and other signs of violence were also found inside the car, Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller said.
Carlos Watts Jr. has not been charged with Kelley's murder, and her body remains missing.
However, he was declared a person of interest, according to Kelley’s family.
FBI Detroit offered $20,000 in exchange for information leading to the location of Kelley, according to FBI Detroit in a post to Twitter.
Kelley's disappearance is a joint investigation between Kalamazoo County Sheriff's Office, Portage Public Safety, and the FBI, detectives said.
Jordan Watts also has not been charged in relation to Kelley's disappearance.