Moment teen is cuffed in violent sexual assault case that ended with him receiving a slap-on-the-wrist
Newly released bodycam footage shows the arrest of an Oklahoma teen accused of violent sexual assaults — who received a slap on the wrist and avoided nearly 80 years behind bars thanks to Oklahoma’s youthful offender law.
Jesse Mack Butler, 18, avoided jail time last month despite a series of violent attacks on two girls at Stillwater High School in 2024, including a choking incident so severe the victim’s doctor said she was lucky to be alive, according to Oklahoma Watch.
Butler, who was 17 when he was arrested in March, pleaded no contest to 11 counts against him, including first-degree rape, strangulation and violation of a protective order.
He was initially charged as an adult, but his status was downgraded to “youthful offender” because the incidents occurred before he was 18, leaving local parents fuming as he avoided jail time, KOCO reported.
Footage of the teen’s March 4, 2025, arrest was released in response to an open records request Thursday, not because of new police activity, a Stillwater police spokesperson told Newsweek.
The bodycam footage, which has gained significant traction and gone viral on social media, shows Butler’s mother arriving at their home in Stillwater, a town about 70 miles northeast of Oklahoma City, and calling out for her son to open the door.
In the video, an officer tells Butler there is a warrant for his arrest and that he would be taken to the police department for processing.
“Right now, you do have to come with us, and I do have to put you in handcuffs,” the officer calmly tells Butler.
“You have to put him in handcuffs?” his mother then questions, sounding concerned.
His mother can be heard throughout the video reassuring her son, who appeared to be on the verge of tears, telling him, “I’ll get you out.”
“All right, stay silent. Rick knows about this, Candy’s on this, Dad’s on his way. We’re coming to get you, OK? Stay strong, OK? Say your prayers,” she said.
The teen’s father, Mack Butler, is the former director of football operations at Oklahoma State University, which is located in Stillwater.
The interaction between the officers and Butler was calm throughout, with officers providing information to Butler’s mother about where he would be held.
“Awful experience for a child,” Butler’s mom can be heard saying as officers escorted him to the police car. “Later, Jess, see you in a bit.”
The Stillwater Police Department said they were first notified on September 12, 2024, of incidents that took place earlier that year involving Butler.
Court documents detailed the violent attacks on the two girls, which unfolded when each dated Butler.
One of the victims, identified as “K.S.,” leveled credible sexual assault allegations against Butler while at school, including that he raped her after recording himself strangling her to unconsciousness, according to Oklahoma Watch.
The other young woman, “L.S.,” reported being choked so severely by Butler that her doctor said she was lucky to be alive.
Butler’s court case began in March, led by Assistant District Attorney Debra Vincent, who planned to prosecute Butler to the fullest extent of the law, the families of his victims told Oklahoma Watch.
The families were then left confused when Vincent suddenly began advocating for Butler to be designated as a youthful offender, which offers expungement or record sealing not regularly available to adults.
“We were completely against the youthful offender status from the beginning,” the mother of “L.S.” told the outlet.
“I was sobbing, I was begging her not to do this deal,” he mother of “K.S.” added.
The mother of “K.S.” said Vincent reasoned that Butler didn’t have a criminal record, though the families of the victims rejected the notion, as Butler already had more than one accuser.
Butler was initially charged with 10 felony counts, including rape, attempted rape, sexual battery and assault, pleading not guilty to all charges. He then changed his plea to no contest after a judge signed off on the deal. The plea deal changed his status from adult to youthful offender, allowing him to avoid jail time altogether.
The youth plea deal meant that Butler was sentenced last month to a year of rehabilitation and community service, even though he initially faced 78 years behind bars, according to the New York Post.
The parents of the two victims said their daughters had been willing to testify against Butler.
“The girls were brave,” the mother of “L.S.” told Oklahoma Watch. “They found their voices and were ready to stand up, ready to face it all and tell their stories. But just when they were finally starting to take their power back, it was ripped away from them.”
As the footage of Butler’s arrest continues to be shared online, some local leaders in Oklahoma have echoed the Internet’s outrage over the case’s outcome.
Oklahoma Rep. Justin “JJ” Humphrey, a Republican, called the ruling “unacceptable” and said he plans to petition for a grand jury review.
“If that don’t set you on fire, your wood’s wet,” Humphrey told Fox News Digital. “You’ve got a bad deal. That sets me on fire.”
In a statement to Fox, the DA’s office said the youthful offender law under which the decision was made “does not erase the crimes or minimize their impact.”
Butler’s next court appearance has been scheduled for December 8.
