Families in Stillwater, Oklahoma, say they are still searching for justice after Jesse Mack Butler, an 18-year-old accused of a series of violent sexual assaults, avoided prison time — a decision that has fueled protests and calls for legal reform and renewed outrage from victims’ families.
Butler, who was 16 and 17 at the time, pleaded no contest earlier this year to 11 felony charges, including attempted rape, rape by instrumentation, sexual battery, forcible oral sodomy, domestic assault by strangulation and violating a protective order.
He faced up to 78 years in prison but was instead granted youthful offender status, allowing him to remain free under supervision with counseling, community service and a curfew.
In an interview with Juju Chang of “Nightline,” previewed this week on “Good Morning America,” the parents of one of the victims spoke publicly for the first time about the emotional fallout and why they believe the court’s decision failed their daughter.
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The victim’s mother, Ivonne, said her daughter, identified as Kate, has struggled since the assaults.
“Community service and counseling doesn’t equate to what he did to her — what he’s taken from her,” she told Chang.
Kate’s father, Austin, said the family hopes speaking out will protect others. “[I’m] just hoping that his name will be out there. That somebody will know that he’s capable of this and just anything we can do to prevent other harm.”
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Kate was 16 when she began dating Butler, her first boyfriend. Her parents said he initially seemed polite and attentive before they noticed concerning changes in her daughter’s behavior. She is now completing her senior year online and has withdrawn from key milestones, including prom and graduation.
Court documents obtained by Fox News detailed the severity of the accusations, including allegations that Butler strangled victims, threatened them and left one teen “near death.” One victim wrote that Butler had “strangled my voice, my joy, my ability to feel safe in my own body.” Police affidavits described repeated assaults, forced sexual acts and threats of violence if the victims spoke out.
Outrage intensified as those details became public.
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During a Dec. 8 compliance hearing on Butler’s supervision agreement, protesters again lined the Payne County Courthouse. According to KJRH, demonstrators voiced frustration with sealed records, and victims’ advocates allowed to speak in court argued that keeping certain documents under seal appeared to protect Butler rather than promote transparency.
The review hearing focused on whether Butler was complying with his probation terms, which include daily calls and weekly visits with the Office of Juvenile Affairs, therapy and community service.
One protester told KJRH, “Rape is rape, violence is violence, and it needs to end and so does systematic corruption.” Advocates questioned how therapy would benefit Butler when he has never admitted wrongdoing.
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At the hearing, a judge agreed to unseal some of Butler’s records, a move supporters of the victims said would help provide more clarity about the case.
Payne County District Attorney Laura Austin Thomas issued a detailed statement to The Oklahoman more than a month after sentencing, explaining why prosecutors initially filed the case in adult court, a move she said was intended to keep the allegations public, since juvenile cases in Oklahoma are typically confidential.
Thomas said state law strongly favors rehabilitation when defendants are under 18 at the time of the alleged crimes and noted that only two of the 11 charges legally qualified for adult prosecution. She said families were told early on that a youthful-offender sentence was the likely outcome.
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According to the DA’s statement, also reported by The Oklahoman, Butler must complete an “aggressive schedule of therapy” with a specialist. If he fails to comply, he could be reclassified as an adult and face up to 10 years in prison.
The Oklahoman also reported that some critics questioned whether Butler’s local ties, including his father’s past role with Oklahoma State University’s football program, influenced the outcome. The judge who granted youthful-offender status also earned two degrees from OSU. No evidence has been presented that those connections affected the ruling, but they remain part of the public debate.
In the “Nightline” interview, the family’s attorney, Rachel Bussett, said she believed incarceration was warranted.
“There should have been a period of incarceration and an admission of guilt,” she said.
Bussett has filed a motion alleging Kate’s rights were violated during the plea and sentencing proceedings.
Ivonne said she hopes her daughter will eventually move forward.
“I hope that she tries to date again; right now she’s been too scared,” she said. Asked whether the ordeal shattered her daughter’s trust, she added, “Yeah… I hope she’ll try again because love shouldn’t hurt.”
Fox News has reached out to the Payne County district attorney’s office and the family’s attorney for additional comment.
