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By Marni Rose McFall
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WARNING: This article discusses sexual abuse and may be disturbing.
A video of Jesse Mack Butler being arrested has gone viral online, shortly after he avoided jail.
Butler was initially facing nearly 80 years behind bars. He was 17 at the time of his arrest. He was initially charged as an adult with 10 felony counts, including rape, attempted rape, sexual battery, and assault related to sex crimes against two fellow students, including one that left one victim close to death after being choked unconscious, News9 reported. Police found video on Butler's phone of him choking the second victim, according to The New York Post. The attacks on the two victims unfolded when they each dated Butler, according to court documents.
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He pleaded not guilty to all charges but went on to strike a deal with the district attorney’s office to shift his status from adult to youthful offender.
Newsweek has contacted a legal representative for Butler via email for comment.
Why It Matters
One in 6 women in the U.S. has experienced attempted or completed rape in their lifetime, and an estimated 17.7 million American women have been victims of rape, according to statistics from RAINN. Females aged between 16 and 19 are four times more likely to be the victims of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault, as per RAINN.
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What To Know
The video itself was released in response to an open records request on October 30, law enforcement confirmed to Newsweek.
The video shows Butler’s arrest, captured on police bodycam footage, on March 4, 2025.
A representative for the Stillwater Police Department told Newsweek over email, “This release does not reflect new activity or operational action by the Stillwater Police Department.”
The footage has flooded social media, garnering millions of views across X, Facebook, and TikTok.
The video shows the moment that law enforcement arrived at the family home to arrest Butler.
He is standing next to his mother, who consoles him. The officer says, “Right now, you do have to come with us, and I do have to put you in handcuffs, so turn around for me,” and then the mother questions if this is necessary, asking, “Do you have to put him in handcuffs?” before kissing his cheek.
The mother says to him, “I love you. I’ll get you out. Stay silent. We’re coming to get ya, okay? Stay strong. Say your prayers.”
Butler, now 18, is the son of a prominent local sports coach. He switched his plea to no contest after a judge signed off on the deal.
The youth plea deal means that Butler has now been sentenced to one year of rehabilitation and community service, despite first facing nearly 80 years imprisonment, as per The New York Post.
The video has gone viral shortly after the news of his sentence broke, and people have responded loudly and angrily online.
What People Are Saying
Representative Justin JJ Humphrey, an Oklahoma Republican, told News Nation: “The laws are there, but what do you do when they don’t follow them? Does this sound like justice?”
Conservative influencer Colin Rugg wrote on X in a post viewed 3.7 million times: “Butler will avoid any prison time, thanks to the 'youthful offender' status. Infuriating.”
Eitan Friedman, a policy advisor and Jewish rights advocate, responding to Rugg in a post on X viewed 90,000 times: “He has now served lifetimes in the court of public opinion.”
Gina Darling, actress and internet personality, responding to Rugg in a post on X viewed over 30,000 times: “This family should never have a moment of peace for the rest of their lives.”
What’s Next
A rally will take place at the Payne County Courthouse on November 5, according to a post on a local Facebook group. The event description reads in part, “Stand together as a community against Injustice in our legal system.”
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual violence, you can contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 800-656-4673, or contact the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) helpline via their website rainn.org.
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