An Oklahoma teenager who faced nearly 80 years in prison for raping and assaulting two of his high school girlfriends has walked free under a plea deal that’s triggered fury from victims’ families and lawmakers.
Eighteen-year-old Jesse Mack Butler, the son of a prominent local sports coach, was convicted of a string of violent sex crimes in Stillwater, including one attack that left a 16-year-old girl near death after being choked unconscious.
Initially charged as an adult with 10 felony counts, including rape, attempted rape, sexual battery, and assault, Butler was expected to face decades behind bars.
But after a deal with prosecutors reclassified him as a youthful offender, the former baseball player was sentenced to just one year of rehabilitation and community service.
The lenient sentence has outraged the victims’ families, who described it as a “slap in the face.”
“It’s appalling,” said the mother of one victim.
“I received similar punishments for breaking curfew when I was a teenager. This is a complete injustice to these girls, and future victims.”
The second victim’s mother echoed the outrage, calling the outcome “a joke.”
“By giving him youthful offender status, all the prison time went away,” she said. “He choked my daughter until she passed out. There’s even a video. How is that justice?”
Court records detail months of abuse, including repeated assaults and near-fatal strangulation. One doctor said one victim would have died if the choking had lasted 30 seconds longer.
Oklahoma state Rep. Justin JJ Humphrey condemned the ruling, calling it “corrupt.”
“How in the world did this judge get to this? If that doesn’t fire you up, there’s something wrong,” he said. “The laws are there but what do you do when they don’t follow them?”
