Public outrage is boiling over in Oklahoma after 18-year-old Jesse Butler avoided prison despite pleading no contest to multiple violent sex assault charges. Families of victims and protesters flooded the Payne County Courthouse demanding accountability and the removal of Judge Susan Worthington, who suspended Butler’s 78-year sentence under the Oklahoma youthful offender law.
Videos showed more than a hundred demonstrators holding signs reading “Hold Jesse Responsible” and “Justice for Victims.” Ponca Tribal Victim Services condemned the ruling, demanding Butler’s imprisonment and calling for the judge’s disbarment.
The Stillwater Police Department confirmed extra patrols were deployed as anger spread online and across the community. Butler, a former Stillwater student, is barred from campus and all school events. Officials say he remains under close supervision until his 19th birthday and must complete therapy, community service, and counseling.
Bodycam footage from his arrest shows Butler being cuffed last year after multiple girls accused him of violent assaults. One victim said she was nearly strangled to death. Despite 10 felony counts, the court’s decision left him free under probation terms — a move families called a “betrayal of justice.”
Rep. Justin “JJ” Humphrey called the sentence “unacceptable” and vowed to seek a grand jury review. Lawmakers and activists now demand reform of the Oklahoma youthful offender law, arguing it shields violent offenders from real accountability.
