Families in Payne County, Oklahoma, are furious after a student accused of multiple brutal sexual assaults avoided prison time when a judge reclassified him as a youthful offender.
Eighteen-year-old Jesse Butler, a former Stillwater High School student, pleaded no contest to 11 felony counts — including attempted first-degree rape, strangulation, and violating a protective order. Prosecutors said the assaults occurred before Butler turned 18, triggering a change in status under Oklahoma’s youthful offender statute.
That reclassification means Butler’s 78-year sentence is suspended, and he will remain free under state supervision until age 19 — required to attend counseling, perform community service, and obey a curfew. He will not serve prison time unless he violates the program’s terms.
Victims and their families call the ruling a miscarriage of justice. “You didn’t just strangle me with your hands — you strangled my voice, my joy, my ability to feel safe in my own body,” one victim wrote in a court statement. Her mother said the system “failed” her daughter, adding that “the system made excuse after excuse for the person who hurt her.”
State Rep. J.J. Humphrey, R-Lane, blasted the decision and vowed to pursue a grand jury probe. “Does it absolutely smack of political favor that you’re going to erase rapes and sexual crimes so you can give this guy a slap on the wrist?” he said. “Oklahoma, better pay attention. Wake up.”
The Payne County District Attorney’s Office insists it followed state law, but public outrage continues to build over what many see as justice denied.
