Despite the gravity of his crimes and a sentence totaling nearly 80 years, Jesse Mack Butler, an 18-year-old from Stillwater, Oklahoma, has managed to avoid incarceration. This decision has sparked widespread anger in the community, particularly in the college town of Stillwater, located about an hour north of Oklahoma City.

Butler, who attended Stillwater High School, faced serious allegations, including a series of sex crimes against two teenage girls. The charges were severe, encompassing two counts of attempted rape, three instances of “rape by instrumentation,” one charge of sexual battery, one count of forcible oral sodomy, and two charges of “domestic assault and battery by strangulation,” alongside one count of domestic assault and battery.

Why Jesse Butler isn’t going to prison

In March, when Butler was still 17, he was charged as an adult with these felonies. Shockingly, one of the victims was reportedly choked to the point of losing consciousness and nearly died, as confirmed by medical professionals.

Initially pleading not guilty to all counts, Butler’s legal team negotiated a controversial agreement with the district attorney’s office. This deal resulted in his status being downgraded from adult to youthful offender, a decision that met with vehement opposition from the victims’ families. Despite their pleas, a judge approved the agreement in July, and by August, Butler altered his plea to no contest.

Butler pleaded not guilty to all charges, and the district attorney’s office struck a deal with Butler’s lawyers to change his status from adult to youthful offender. The victims’ families begged the D.A. not to do that, but in July, a judge signed off on the accord. In August, Butler changed his plea from not guilty to no contest.

He was ultimately sentenced to 78 years in prison, but as a “youthful offender,” he was also entitled to a rehabilitation plan drawn up by the Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs and presented to the court last week, meaning he can avoid prison.

The plan calls for daily check-ins, weekly counseling, a curfew, no social media and 150 hours of community service. It will stay in effect until Butler turns 19, less than a year from now.

If Butler complies with his court-ordered rehab for a year and doesn’t break any more laws, his record will be wiped clean, meaning an avoidance of prison or an appearance on any sex offender registry.

The crimes Jesse Butler admitted to

A police affidavit says a girl identified only as “L.S.” dated Butler for about three months starting in January 2024, when she was 16. During that time, the victim said Butler repeatedly raped and attempted to rape her and would strangle her if she refused.

The teenage girl needed surgery to repair the damage done to her neck by the strangulation, and her doctor said she would have died had the strangulation lasted another 30 seconds. The girl alleges she gave in to Butler because he threatened to kill her and her family if she didn’t.

A separate affidavit says that in March of 2024, Butler dated another 16-year-old identified only as “K.S.” for six months. This teenager alleged that Butler was aggressive and violent with her, and says she went along with unwanted sex to avoid being hurt.

The victim also said that one time, when she refused, Butler strangled her and recorded himself strangling her until she passed out. Police later found that video on Butler’s phone.

In the same month, another count was added against Butler, taking the tally to 11 following a violation of a protective order.