An 18-year-old who brutally raped and attacked two students has avoided significant jail time after a judge allowed him to go free, leading to public outrage and protests
Despite being found guilty of sex crimes, a teenager has avoided spending a significant amount of time behind bars. Jesse Butler, from Oklahoma, was found guilty on numerous counts of rape and assault, sparking outrage within his local community.
The 18-year-old, from Oklahoma, USA, was taken into custody on March 4 following reports of assault from two secondary school students, according to official documents cited by local media. At the time of his arrest, Butler was 17 and initially charged as an adult, but his status was later changed to that of a “youthful offender”.
Butler’s offences included first-degree rape, domestic assault and battery by strangulation, attempted first-degree rape, and rape by instrumentation.
The disgraced teenager entered a no contest plea to 11 charges brought against him. A “no contest” plea means the defendant did not admit guilt but accepted the punishment for charges against them.
Butler was facing up to 78 years behind bars for these crimes, but Judge Susan C Worthington opted not to impose any jail time, the Mirror reported. Instead, as per KJRH, he was ordered to complete community service and attend counselling.
According to reports, Butler comes from a “prominent” family in the area. FOX 25 has reported that his lenient sentence resulted from a plea agreement between the prosecution and defence. As a result, the families of the victims have expressed their disgust at the outcome.
Moreover, advocates have been arguing that Butler’s family’s high profile in Stillwater, Oklahoma played a role in the polarising decision. The Journal Record noted that Butler’s father previously served as the director of operations for Oklahoma State University’s football team.
A September 2024 investigation was initially launched after two female students reported multiple disturbing allegations against Butler. In victim impact statements obtained by KOCO, one survivor recounted: “I’ve had to explain bruises, explain silence, explain why I started isolating from people who love me.
“You didn’t just strangle me with your hands, you strangled my voice, my joy, my ability to feel safe in my own body.” The “ridiculously” lenient sentence has ignited anger in the community, with about 100 people attending a recent protest demanding accountability.
Protester Adelyn Smith told KJRH: “Almost losing your life, having a video being recorded of you almost losing your life and your assaulter being able to just walk with no punishment, a slap on the wrist and 150 hours of community service. That’s just ridiculous.”
One of the victims told the court that Butler strangled her and filmed himself raping her after she lost consciousness. According to The Guardian, she stated that he then threatened to kill her or her family if she spoke out.
“What happened to me wasn’t only abuse or strangulation – it was nearly attempted murder,” she said. “Thirty more seconds and this would not be my statement.
“It would be my mother’s because I would not have survived. I survived what he did, but I will never be the same.”
Payne County District Attorney Laura Thomas has since told The Oklahoman that Butler was entitled to seek youthful offender status “in accordance with Oklahoma law”. The office added that Butler must “complete his rehabilitation plan successfully, including an aggressive schedule of therapy with a specialist in sex offender treatment, and should he fail, he faces reclassification as an adult and a sentence of 10 years in prison”.
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