Convicted rapist facing 78 years in prison walks free in stunning plea deal

STILLWATER, Okla. – An Oklahoma high schooler facing 78 years in prison after being convicted on multiple counts of rape, assault and battery is walking free as a result of a stunning plea deal.

In August, Jesse M. Butler, 18, of Stillwater, Oklahoma, pled No Contest to all charges against him. He was convicted on two counts of Attempted Rape in the First Degree, three counts of Rape by Instrumentation, two counts of Domestic Assault and Battery by Strangulation, and one count of both Sexual Battery and Forcible Oral Sodomy.

Butler was also convicted of Domestic Assault and Battery, and Violation of Protective Order, both Misdemeanors.

A judge sentenced Butler to a total of 78 years in prison. However, he now has the opportunity to avoid prison altogether.

The crimes.

WARNING:
This section includes graphic details involving criminal sexual abuse.

NOTE: Due to the victims being under the age of 18, they will only be identified with their initials.

According to arrest affidavits, in Sep. 2024, two juvenile girls, identified as LS and KS, met with the Stillwater Public Schools School Resource Officer to formally report Butler had raped, assaulted and strangled both of them earlier that year.

From late January to early March 2024, LS told the officer she had been in a romantic relationship with Butler, affidavits show.

On Feb. 2, LS said Butler parked his vehicle on the northside of a local ice cream shop after a sporting event they attended together, affidavits show.

Instead of getting ice cream, as he had previously stated, LS said Butler forcibly removed her clothing, aggressively pinned her down and sat on top of her. She said he then touched, bit and sucked on her body before inserting his fingers inside her against her will, affidavits show.

Butler also tried to have sexual intercourse with her. LS repeatedly told him ‘no’ and tried to push him off but she was unable to overpower him, affidavits show.

According to the affidavit, LS said Butler told her he was sorry for what he was about to do, but he ‘had to do it,’ affidavits show.

Due to Butler intending to have sexual intercourse with her, LS said she began hyperventilating. But before he could proceed to intercourse, an unidentified woman walked up to the vehicle and interrupted them, affidavits show.

LS told the officer she believed the woman heard her yelling, crying and saying ‘no’ from outside the vehicle. Afterward, as he drove away from the area, LS said he told her to stay down and warned her about police showing up, affidavits show.

The affidavit mentions LS detailing a second incident as well, occurring inside her own vehicle, but it is not included in the batch of documents I received.

The second girl, KS, told the officer her relationship with Butler began in late March and ended in Sep. 2024. She said he was often physically and mentally abusive and had sexually assaulted her on ‘numerous’ occasions, affidavits show.

On April 22, at a drive-in restaurant in Stillwater, KS said Butler tried to pull her pants down and touch her as they sat on the bed of his pickup truck, affidavits show.

Butler continued to grab and slap her despite KS telling him ‘no.’ She said he became angry, grabbed her arm, spun her around, and threw her on the ground, leaving scratches on her arm, but Butler laughed about it, affidavits show.

Throughout the course of their relationship, KS said she engaged in sexual intercourse with Butler to prevent physical aggression from him, affidavits show.

When KS told Butler he was hurting her, he did not care and would not stop. Because of his aggressiveness, she was scared to tell him to stop because of how physically violent he had been with her, affidavits show.

KS told the officer Butler had left bruises on her hips from squeezing her so tightly. She said the intercourse was ‘extremely’ aggressive and she stopped fighting it because he would overpower her and hurt her, ‘to get his way,’ affidavits show.

To avoid being hurt by Butler, KS explained to the officer she had learned what to do and what not to do. affidavits show.

Butler would pin KS down and she would be unable to get him off of her. She added, this would often lead her to hyperventilate, but he thought it was funny, affidavits show.

Other incidents were mentioned in the affidavit but were not included in the batch of documents I received.

An Emergency Protective Order (EPO) was obtained Sep. 26, 2024, but on Feb. 5, 2025, Butler violated the order by making the girl feel ‘intimidated and harassed,’ when trying to insert himself in locations at school he knew she would be at, police reports show.

The police reports do not identify the Plaintiff of the EPO, but the timeline suggests it is likely KS.

The Case.

On March 4, 2025, an arrest warrant was issued for Butler and he was taken into custody at the Stillwater City Jail on a $25,000 bond, court records show.

^{Jesse Butler arrested March 4, 2025 (Stillwater PD)}

On May 2, the defense filed a motion to certify as a youthful offender and request for a study and psychological evaluation, court records show.

According to the affidavits, Butler was aged 16 to 17 when the incidents occurred.

On July 24, a judge granted the defense’s motion to certify as a youthful offender.

The document writes, ‘the parties agree [Butler] is amenable to treatment as a youthful offender and does not require placement in the custody of the Office of Juvenile Affairs,’ court records show.

Furthermore, the parties agreed to extend the court’s jurisdiction over Butler until his 19th birthday, ‘in order for [Butler] to complete the youthful offender plan of rehabilitation,’ court records show.

On Aug. 25, Butler pled No Contest to all 11 criminal charges, including nine felonies and two criminal misdemeanors. He is sentenced to 78 years in prison, court records show.

Over the course of the next month, the defense filed the results from Butler’s psychological evaluation and the details of the proposed individual treatment and service plan, court records show.

The documents pertaining to the details of the evaluation and plan have been sealed from the public, online records show.

On Oct. 6, a judge approved the proposed rehabilitation plan and rules of probation, court records show.

Guidance in the law provides a glimpse into what the plan may consist of:

1. The placement decision, such as community, group home, secure care, or specialized placement.

2. The youthful offender’s treatment and educational needs.

3. The measurable objectives required for the youthful offender’s successful completion of the rehabilitation plan.

4. The treatment objectives for the youthful offender’s parent, guardian, or next friend.

5. If the youthful offender is placed in a group home, secure care, or specialized placement, the preconditions for reintegration into the community.

According to Oklahoma law, it is at the discretion of the prosecutor to charge anyone aged 15 to 17 as an adult or youthful offender for rape or sex battery. The only exception in the law is Murder in the First Degree, for which youthful offender or juvenile status is not an option.

Butler will serve no time behind bars if he remains compliant with the rehabilitation plan and rules of probation.

If he completes the program successfully, at the age of 19, Butler will have an opportunity to file a motion to expunge the plea and sentence from the record.

A review hearing is set for Dec. 8 at 1:30 p.m. in Payne County. Butler will turn 19 years old next August, court records show.

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