William Morgan
Warning: This article contains discussion of sexual assault and rape which some readers may find distressing.
Residents of a city in Oklahoma are in uproar after a teenager from a prominent family walked free from court, despite facing almost 80 years behind bars for the rape and strangulation of two high school girls.
Stillwater teen Jesse Butler, 18, was convicted of 10 criminal charges relating to the violent rape of two other teenagers, after being arrested in March for his crimes when he was aged 17.
Despite initially being tried as an adult, the court later decided that he was a youth offender - and so did not have to face a potential 78-year prison sentence.
Rather than admit to his crimes, Butler pleaded no contest to the rape and assault charges laid against him, and the judge handed him a paltry community service order, with a requirement for him to attend counselling services.
This decision has infuriated Stillwater locals and the victims' families, who allege that Butler has received lenient treatment from the court because he comes from a prominent, wealthy family in the city.
The 18-year-old's father previously played a major role in Oklahoma State University's football team, working as its director of operations, according to reports by PEOPLE.
On the day of his sentencing (November 5), crowds gathered outside the Payne County Courthouse, fearing that Butler could escape justice, despite being convicted of raping and strangling the two high school girls.
When it emerged that the 18-year-old had evaded prison entirely, those outside the courtroom expressed their fury, with protester Tori Gray telling KOKH: "The justice system here in Stillwater has allowed a violent sex offender to walk free. Not only is he currently free and loose on the streets.
"He's a virtual student at Stillwater Public Schools as a senior, and after he finishes having the slap on the wrist, he doesn't even have to register as a sex offender."
The charges, which Butler neither admitted nor denied through his no contest plea, relate to a September 2024 investigation that opened after two of his fellow students bravely came forward with allegations of sexual violence.
Victim impact statements supplied to the court relay the brutality faced by the two teenage girls, with one describing: "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."
Another member of the large crowd outside the courthouse, Adelyn Smith, described the 'terrible' feeling of knowing Butler walked free.
She said: "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.”
If you've been affected by any of the issues in this article, you can contact The National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7. Or you can chat online via online.rainn.org