Having made bail on charges as serious as rape and domestic assault, local residents have expressed the anger and frustration of their community with the flagrant betrayal of justice. Butler was initially looking at a terrifying 78 years in prison on ten individual counts, with two women as complainants. Now, thanks to a ruling from Judge Susan C. Worthington, he’s received the designation of youthful offender. He reached an agreement with prosecutors, pleading no contest to the charges. As a punishment, he will serve no jail time.
The accusations against Butler are quite serious and have garnered tremendous public attention. These offenses encompass rape, battery by strangulation, and domestic assault. The allegations are based on a pattern of behavior involving two different women, one of whom was said to be his girlfriend. The deal has generated massive anger from community members and activists supporting victims of sexual violence.
As part of the plea agreement, Butler was sentenced to 150 hours of community service. Throughout all this, he has to adhere to a strict curfew. He is unpersoned from social media. Moreover, under the terms of his plea agreement, he has to participate in daily check-ins and weekly counseling sessions until he’s 19 years old. This rehabilitation plan is made possible by Oklahoma’s Youthful Offender Act, which enables alternative, rehabilitative sentencing for young offenders.
Victims’ advocates have condemned the overly lenient nature of the deal, claiming it does not provide any justice to the women harmed. As one mother described her daughter’s fight to survive through the legal system,
“As a mom, I never thought I’d have to watch my daughter fight this kind of battle – one where she had to prove she was the victim, over and over again, while the system made excuse after excuse for the person who hurt her.” – Mother of the victim [reported by KOCO]
The emotional toll on victims is evident. One victim recounted her traumatic experience, asserting that it went beyond mere abuse:
“My daughter has handled this with more strength than most adults could. She still shows up to school, still cheers, still smiles, even when people who should have protected her didn’t. Watching her stay brave while adults failed her has been both inspiring and heartbreaking.” – Mother of the victim [reported by KOCO]
She further expressed her feelings about the plea deal with poignant words:
“What happened to me wasn’t only abuse or strangulation – it was nearly attempted murder.” – The girl victim
Community members have united with the victims since the incident to express their outrage at Butler’s slap on the wrist. Adelyn Smith, a local advocate, remarked,
“Thirty more seconds and this would not be my statement. It would be my mother’s because I would not have survived. I survived what he did, but I will never be the same.” – The girl victim
Nancy Janai Irving echoed these sentiments, emphasizing that justice has not been served:
“Almost losing your life, having a video being recorded of you almost losing your life, and your assaulter being able to just walk with no punishment, a slap on the wrist and 150 hours of community service. That’s just ridiculous.” – Adelyn Smith
Local resident Justin Humphrey criticized the disparity between Butler’s initial sentence and the final plea deal:
“None of these girls are getting the justice they deserve. They’ve been silenced, and it’s not OK for him to walk around and not even be remorseful for what he’s done.” – Nancy Janai Irving
Debate over how to achieve justice for sexual abuse victims is boiling over in Stillwater. Fortunately, as we’ll hear today, many residents are working to change that, making it clear that every future case needs to be taken seriously. Our community is still grappling with what approach may be best to address these issues while creating the necessary space for victims to pursue justice.
“To go from more than 75 years in prison to 100-something hours of community service? That’s sketchy as hell.” – Justin Humphrey
As discussions around justice for victims of sexual abuse continue in Stillwater, many residents are demanding changes to ensure that similar cases are treated with the gravity they deserve. The community remains divided on how best to address these issues while supporting victims in their pursuit of justice.