Friday, November 7, 2025
‘Stop protecting rapists’
Outcry follows sentencing of convicted rapist Jesse Butler Raynee Howell
CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Protesters yell in protest of Jesse Butler receiving no jail time after he was charged with 10 rape-related charges.
Affidavit reveals former OSU staff member’s explicit online chats Raynee Howell
CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
The former associate vice president of research at Oklahoma State was charged with three counts of solicitation of a minor and one count of soliciting sexual conduct with a minor Tuesday. Pratul Agarwal, 51, was arrested Oct. 24 at his home in Oklahoma City. He was booked on four counts; one count of soliciting sexual conduct with a minor, two counts of lewd acts with a child and one count of violation of the Computer Crimes Act. He was formally charged with one count of soliciting sexual content with a minor and three counts of solicitation of a minor. An OSU spokesperson said they were aware of his arrest on Oct. 26 and confirmed on Oct. 27 that he was no longer employed at the university. Agarwal chatted explicitly with an undercover agent who was posing as a 14-year-old girl, according to an affidavit. The Edmond Police Department received information from Broken Arrow Police Department Detective Chris Pellegrino. Pellegrino was operating as an undercover agent in an online chatroom beginning on Sept. 9. Pellegrino exchanged conversations with the username “DrkMster.” The profile stated the user was a 44-year-old male from Oklahoma. Pellegrino identified himself as a 14-yearold girl from Broken Arrow.
See AFFIDAVIT on page 2A
Bryson Thadhani, The O’Colly
A couple hundred Stillwater community members and high school students gathered Wednesday at the Payne County Courthouse in protest of the sentencing of Jesse Butler, a convicted rapist who received no jail time. Butler, a student at Stillwater High School, was charged and pleaded no contest to 10 rape-related counts and one count for violating an emergency protection order. Butler is 18 years old but was under legal age at the time of commiting his crimes against two confirmed rape-victims. Melissa Pepper-Woodworth organized a protest against Butler’s sentencing and in support of victims of sexual assault. She is a mother of two teenage daughters who attended school with Butler before he transferred online. Some Stillwater High School students walked to the courthouse from the school, an almost 2-mile walk, on their lunch break.
See RAPIST on page 5A
WHAT’S INSIDE 3A
SNAP benefits paused, food banks support local community
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YAF reports disruptions while tabling at OSU Bryson Thadhani, The O’Colly
One of Jesse Butler’s victims revealed in her victim impact statement that a medical professional told her she was 30 seconds away from dying. A student from Stillwater High School held a sign in reference to the violent encounter at a protest against Butler’s sentence.
Stillwater students plan walkout to protest sentencing in rape case 4A
Parents bring comfort to students at Hugs from Home event
students of all different backgrounds, each person was there to stand with their community. Students at Stillwater High School, a “I am heartbroken for these girls mere five minutes from Oklahoma State, — they did everything right, they did were determined to join the protest of everything that everybody said they the outcome of a rape case at the Payne needed to do,” said Madeline Thomas, County Courthouse on Wednesday, senior at Stillwater High School. and succeeded, but not without “The least we can do is be out here “consequences.” and support, like that’s honestly the As the students were in school at the least we can do for them, because of beginning of the protest, which started all they’ve gone through and this is at 10 a.m., some students made the nothing compared to what they had to decision to walkout at lunch and begin go through.” a 33-minute walk to the courthouse. Although, there were people and See WALKOUT on page 5A Caleson Coon
STAFF REPORTER