Parents of Teen in Oklahoma Assault Case Break Their Silence After Judge Spared Her Ex from Prison

The parents of an Oklahoma teenager at the center of a sexual assault case that drew widespread outrage are speaking publicly for the first time, saying they believe their daughter was denied justice after the young man accused of attacking her avoided prison time.

Their comments come in an interview with Nightline‘s JuJu Chang that previewed on Good Morning America on Wednesday, Dec. 10.

The case involves 18-year-old Jesse Butler, who authorities say assaulted two former girlfriends when he was 16 and 17.

Arrested in March in Stillwater, Okla., Butler faced multiple counts of attempted rape, sexual battery, strangulation and domestic assault, according to court documents cited by KOCO. He was initially charged as an adult and faced possible prison time, but a judge ultimately granted him youthful offender status, multiple outlets including The Journal Record and Oklahoma Watch reported.

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Butler pleaded no contest in August to 11 counts against him, per the official report which was obtained and shared online by FOX 25. Though he was facing 78 years in prison, a judge in November ordered he received community service, rehabilitation and counseling rather than incarceration, KJRH reported.

That wasn’t justice in the eyes of the parents of one victim, Kate. “Community service and counseling doesn’t equate to what he did to her; what he’s taken to her,” her mother, Ivonne, told Chang.

Her father, Austin, echoed the frustration: “[I’m] just hoping that his name will be out there. That somebody will know that he’s capable of this and just anything we can do to prevent other harm.”

Kate’s parents said the teen was 16 when she was first allowed to date. Butler was her first boyfriend.

Early on, he made a positive impression. “We liked him, we thought he was pretty nice,” Ivonne said. “He would bring her flowers pretty frequently. He took her to lots of fancy places and she went to a lot of his sports events and games.”

“He seemed very kind and he seemed like a gentleman to me,” Austin added.

But months later, Kate’s behavior changed. Soon, her parents say they then learned their daughter had been sexually assaulted.

The experience left lasting damage on Kate. The teen is now completing her senior year of high school online. “She doesn’t have her high school friends anymore,” Ivonne said. “And she’s, I’ll never have a prom picture or a graduation picture because she doesn’t want to walk.”

Ivonne and Austin want to warn other parents that intimate partner violence can happen among teenagers.

As for Butler’s punishment, her father says it’s insufficient. “Community service for this type of crime, that’s nothing. People get that for minor crimes,” he said.

Speaking to Nightline, the family’s attorney, Rachel Bussett, said the outcome didn’t reflect the severity of the allegations. “I think there should have been a period of incarceration and I think there should have been an admission of guilt of what he did,” she said.

Overnight, Bussett filed a motion arguing Kate’s rights were violated during the plea and sentencing proceedings, noting that Butler’s current restrictions amount to, as Chang said, “slightly more than grounding.” The district attorney’s office told ABC News they consulted the victims’ families throughout the process and warned them this result was likely.

As the family pushes for more accountability, Ivonne said she now hopes her daughter is eventually able to rebuild trust. “I hope that she tries to date again; right now she’s been too scared,” she said.

When asked if the experience had shattered her daughter’s faith in relationships, she replied, “Yeah, it’s her first boyfriend and that was her first experience with love. I hope that she’ll try again because love shouldn’t hurt.”

Good Morning America airs on ABC beginning at 7 a.m. ET. Nightline airs weeknights at 12:35 a.m. ET, also on ABC.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.