A newly released body-camera video shows the arrest of a teen accused of violent sex assaults in a case now drawing backlash after he received no jail time under Oklahoma’s youthful-offender law.

The teen, Jesse Butler, was 17 when he was arrested. He later pleaded no contest to multiple felony counts, including attempted first-degree rape, sexual battery and assault by strangulation. 

His 78-year sentence was fully suspended under the youthful-offender statute, allowing him to remain free if he meets court-ordered rehabilitation terms. Victims’ families have publicly criticized the outcome. A mother of one of the victims told KOCO the justice system “failed” her daughter.

“As a mom, I never thought I’d have to watch my daughter fight this kind of battle, one where she had to prove she was the victim, over and over again, while the system made excuse after excuse for the person who hurt her.”

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The newly released video shows Butler’s seemingly calm arrest at a home in Stillwater. His mother was seen walking to the front door, telling officers, “We’re ready to tell our story too,” before knocking and calling out to her son to open the door.

In the video, officers informed Butler that there was a warrant for his arrest and that he would be taken to the Stillwater Police Department for processing.

Butler, who appeared to be holding back tears, listened quietly as officers explained the purpose of their visit.

“Yeah, so we’re here, we’re obviously going to place you under arrest, there’s a warrant for your arrest… we are going to take you to the jail… I do have to put you in handcuffs, so turn around for me,” one officer said. 

“You have to put him in handcuffs?” Butler’s mother asked. 

The officer continued and told the teen, “You shouldn’t be there very long,” adding, “There is just a process for paperwork and stuff.”

Butler’s mother could be heard throughout the clip reassuring her son and mentioning family members and contacts already involved in his case.

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“I’ll get you out,” she says. “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. Say your prayers.”

Jesse Butler’s father, Mack Butler, is the former director of football operations at Oklahoma State University, located in Stillwater.

The exchange remained calm throughout. Officers did not raise their voices, and Butler appeared cooperative as he was handcuffed and escorted out. One officer clarified that Butler was being taken to the Stillwater Police Department, not the county jail, to avoid confusion about his location.

“Awful experience for a child,” Butler’s mom said as officers walked him to the police car. “Later, Jess, see you in a bit.” 

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The Stillwater Police Department said officers were first notified Sept. 12, 2024, of incidents that reportedly took place earlier that year.

“A full investigation was initiated the following day that resulted in SPD submitting the case to the Payne County District Attorney’s Office, where it was reviewed and charges were filed,” the department said in a statement.

At the time, Butler was a student in Stillwater Public Schools. Court records obtained by KOCO include several emotional victim impact statements describing lasting fear and trauma.

“You didn’t just strangle me with your hands — you strangled my voice, my joy, my ability to feel safe in my own body,” one victim wrote.

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A police affidavit reviewed by Fox News details brutal acts, including a girlfriend who said she was repeatedly raped and strangled if she refused, and a doctor warned she would have died in one instance if the strangulation lasted seconds longer.

The Payne County District Attorney’s Office has said the decision to handle the case under Oklahoma’s youthful-offender law was based on Butler being 17 at the time of the alleged offenses. The office emphasized the statute “allows the court to maintain supervision until the defendant’s 19th birthday and gives him a chance for rehabilitation while still holding him accountable.”

In its statement, the DA’s office also wrote that the law “does not erase the crimes or minimize their impact.”

Rep. Justin “JJ” Humphrey (R-Okla.) called the ruling “unacceptable” and announced 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 know what I mean? You’ve got a bad deal. That sets me on fire.”

Court documents show Butler remains bound by a sentence issued Aug. 25, 2025, contingent on full compliance with a state-supervised rehabilitation plan.

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While Butler was sentenced to a total of 78 years, the sentence is suspended under Oklahoma’s youthful offender program, meaning he will not serve prison time unless he violates the program’s conditions.

He remains under Office of Juvenile Affairs supervision until his 19th birthday, subject to counseling, therapy, more than 100 hours of community service, a curfew, no social media, daily check-ins and weekly counseling, according to documents obtained by Fox News. 

If Butler fulfills the terms of the program and avoids further legal trouble, he can remain out of prison, though any violation could result in the full sentence being enforced.

His next hearing is scheduled for Dec. 8 in Payne County District Court.

Fox News’ Brooke Taylor contributed to this report. 

Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.

A convicted sex offender hailed as one of Oklahoma’s Ten Most Wanted fugitives has been captured after allegedly faking his own death and reportedly enrolling in a New York university.

Anthony Lennon was taken into custody last week in Canton, New York, after nearly 13 years on the run, according to the U.S. Marshals Service.

In 2008, Lennon was convicted on charges of child pornography and handed a 20-year suspended sentence.

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However, in 2012, authorities began searching for Lennon after learning he was allegedly in possession of additional child pornography, according to officials. Evidence found inside his home reportedly consisted of chat logs, external disks and graphic videos of children, police said.

As authorities closed in on the Super 8 Motel in Moore, Oklahoma, to arrest Lennon on additional charges, they realized that he had “staged an elaborate and bloody abduction and robbery scene, leaving behind falsified evidence to make it appear he had been abducted,” according to officials.

After successfully evading arrest, Lennon remained on the run for 13 years.

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“He went to extremes, and we did determine that the large amount of blood at the staged crime scene actually was his,” Moore Poli​​ce Chief Todd Gibson said in a news conference, according to People.

While on the run, Lennon allegedly adopted the alias “Justin Phillips,” and was enrolled in college at the State University of New York at Canton at the time of his arrest, NNY360 reported. According to the U.S. Marshals Service, Lennon had previously earned a master’s degree in computer science and was working to obtain a doctorate at the time of his disappearance.

Detectives subsequently interviewed Lennon under his alias and used fingerprint analysis to confirm his identity, police said. He was taken into custody in New York and is awaiting extradition to Oklahoma, People reported.

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Authorities are also working to determine if Lennon committed any additional crimes while on the run, according to 7News.

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“This case remains active and under investigation,” the U.S. Marshals Service said in a statement. “But with his capture we can now begin the process of holding Lennon accountable for the crimes he committed against children in our community.”

The U.S. Marshals Service did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

The rental car that a missing 9-year-old California girl was last seen traveling in with her mother had its license plates swapped during a road trip “to avoid detection,” police revealed.

The whereabouts of Melodee Buzzard, of Lompoc, California, remained unknown Tuesday. She was “last seen along the return route via video surveillance on October 9, 2025, in the region between the Colorado–Utah border,” according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office. It added that her 35-year-old mother, Ashlee Buzzard, “has remained uncooperative and has not confirmed Melodee’s location or welfare.”

“Through their investigation, detectives have confirmed that Ashlee left California with Melodee in a white 2024 Chevrolet Malibu, initially bearing California license plate 9MNG101, on October 7, 2025. Detectives believe that Ashlee and Melodee traveled as far as Nebraska, with a return trip that included Kansas,” according to the sheriff’s office.

“Beginning October 8, 2025, the Malibu was observed with a New York license plate HCG9677. It is unknown when the plate was installed or whether additional plates were used at other times during travel. The New York plate seen on the car does not belong to the vehicle or to Ashlee,” the sheriff’s office added. “Investigators believe it was used as a false or switched plate to avoid detection. When the vehicle was returned to the rental agency in Lompoc, California, the assigned California plate was on the vehicle.”

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Investigators believe the rental vehicle traveled through Green River and Panguitch in Utah, northwest Arizona, Primm in Nevada and Rancho Cucamonga in California on or around Oct. 9.

“Detectives are seeking anyone who may have had contact with Ashlee or Melodee at any point from October 9-10, 2025, or any video footage from their route of travel,” the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said.

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The sheriff’s office said investigators are sharing additional surveillance images of Ashlee and Melodee that were captured at a rental car location in Lompoc at the start of their road trip on Oct. 7.

“Both Ashlee and Melodee appear to be wearing wigs with Melodee’s appearing darker and straighter than her natural hair,” the sheriff’s office said.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office previously said its investigation into the disappearance of Melodee Buzzard began on Oct. 14 after a school administrator reported her extended absence. Deputies then responded to her home in Lompoc and encountered her mother, Ashlee, but “Melodee was not at the home, and no verifiable explanation for her whereabouts was provided,” according to the office.

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Melodee Buzzard is described by police as being around 4 feet, 6 inches tall and weighing approximately 60 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. The FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office is assisting in the search.