An Oklahoma teenager who faced up to 80 years in prison for multiple violent sexual assaults has walked free after being granted “youthful offender” status, a decision now facing heavy criticism from lawmakers and the public.
Jesse Mack Butler was charged with a series of serious crimes, including two counts of attempted rape, three counts of rape by instrumentation, one count of sexual battery, one count of forcible oral sodomy, two counts of domestic assault and battery by strangulation, and one count of domestic assault and battery.
According to court records, one of the victims was assaulted so severely that she required neck surgery. Doctors said she was less than 30 seconds from being killed due to strangulation. The victim recounted being repeatedly assaulted and choked whenever she resisted Butler’s advances.
Despite the severity of the crimes, Butler will not serve prison time after reaching a deal with prosecutors that reclassified him as a youthful offender. This change in legal status dramatically reduced the potential sentence and allowed for rehabilitation-based supervision instead of incarceration.
Oklahoma State Representative Justin Humphrey is now demanding a formal investigation into the case, calling the sentence a “miscarriage of justice.”
“The justice system failed these young women,” Humphrey said. “A predator who nearly killed one of his victims should not be allowed to walk free under any circumstances.”
The case has sparked widespread outrage across Oklahoma, with many questioning how someone accused of such violent acts could avoid prison time.
