Oklahoma Teen Gets Probation, No Prison Time for Rape Charges as Victims' Families Cry Foul

A social media backlash erupted after a teen accused of r----- and strangling girls was spared a 78-year prison sentence when an Oklahoma judge instead ordered community service and counseling.

Jesse Butler, 18, was arrested on March 4 after two Stillwater high school students reported being assaulted in 2024. Despite the severity of the allegations, Butler will serve no jail time under a plea deal, a decision victims’ families say reflects a failure of the justice system.

Butler’s father previously served as director of operations for the Oklahoma State University football team.

According to court documents cited by KOCO, Butler was 17 at the time of his arrest and was initially charged as an adult before later being granted youthful offender status by Judge Susan C Worthington. He pleaded no contest to 11 counts in August 2025.

The charges included first-degree r---, domestic assault and battery by strangulation, attempted first-degree r--- and r--- by instrumentation, FOX 25 reported.

A May 16 post on X by Ashley fueled outrage online, claiming Butler received leniency despite allegations that he assaulted two teenage girls and filmed the attacks.

“This Oklahoma judge gave 17-year-old Jesse Butler — son of a former OSU football director — just probation and counseling instead of prison,” the post read in part. “Facing up to 78 years, he got ‘youthful offender’ status. Victims ignored under Marsy’s Law. Families furious.”

The post quickly went viral, drawing furious reactions from social media users. “This is not justice. This is a grotesque betrayal of every principle the justice system claims to uphold,” one X user wrote.

“This judge should be prosecuted and sent to prison for life. W*F do we have prisons for if the violent are released on a regular basis?” another added.

In victim impact statements cited by KOCO, one of the girls described the lasting trauma she says she continues to endure.

“I’ve had to explain bruises, explain silence, explain why I started isolating from people who love me,” she said. “You didn’t just strangle me with your hands, you strangled my voice, my joy, my ability to feel safe in my own body.”

The mother of one victim condemned the legal process, saying her daughter “had to prove she was the victim, over and over again, while the system made excuse after excuse for the person who hurt her.”

“My daughter has handled this with more strength than most adults could,” the mother said. “Watching her stay brave while adults failed her has been both inspiring and heartbreaking.”

At a recent rally demanding accountability for Butler, protester Adelyn Smith said she was devastated for the girls involved.

“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,” Smith told KJRH. “That’s just ridiculous.”

Meanwhile, a Payne County judge rejected claims that the rights of one of the victims were violated during plea negotiations involving Butler.

An attorney representing one of the victims argued prosecutors violated Oklahoma law, which grants crime victims specific rights, including being informed about plea negotiations.

However, after a three-day hearing, Judge Michael Kulling found no evidence that those rights had been violated.

According to The Oklahoman, Kulling wrote that victims were informed about the negotiations, allowed to confer with prosecutors and did not have the authority to direct or veto plea agreements.