If you or someone you know needs resources or support related to sexual violence, contact the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault’s 24/7 hotline at 800-871-7741.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence and would like to talk with an advocate, call 866-834-4357, TTY 1-800-437-1220. This free, confidential service is available 24/7 and is accessible from anywhere in Maine.
If you are concerned about a child being neglected or abused, call Maine’s 24-hour hotline at 800-452-1999 or 711 to speak with a child protective specialist. Calls may be made anonymously. For more information, visit https://www.maine.gov/dhhs/ocfs/cw/reporting_abuse.shtml.
A Down East man will spend 25 years in prison for holding his wife captive in their home.
In May, a jury convicted Jaron Butler, 42, of kidnapping, gross sexual assault, domestic violence assault and endangering the welfare of a child, according to the Ellsworth American.
During his sentencing Wednesday in Hancock County Superior Court, the woman detailed the months of sexual, physical and emotional abuse she endured at the hands of Butler, whom she had been married to for 12 years, the American reported.
Butler denied her access to a phone or the internet, and he padlocked the doors and barricaded the windows of their home, according to the newspaper.
His control over her escalated after the Maine Department of Health and Human Services took custody of her children in February 2024. Afterward, Butler wouldn’t let her leave the home or his side, the American reported.
He also was continually armed, even while he slept.
It was during this period when Butler forced the woman to give birth on the floor of their bathroom, according to the American.
But on June 7, 2024, a Maine State Police SWAT team raided the home, freeing her and her infant.
Since Butler kept her from leaving the home for months, the sunlight damaged her eyes when police finally freed her, according to the American.
During Wednesday’s sentencing hearing, the woman told the court about the long-lasting psychological harm Butler inflicted on her six children, who are coping with post-traumatic stress disorder, night terrors and, in the case of one daughter who was spared the worst abuse, survivor’s guilt, according to the American.
“In some 35 years of practicing law, this attorney has never seen a defendant who more systematically, permanently damaged the lives of more people than Jaron Butler,” Deputy District Attorney Toff Toffolon told the court.
Butler, who represented himself, refused to acknowledge the court’s jurisdiction, saying he “did not consent,” and claimed that prosecutors presented “no authenticated evidence” and that the jury was “biased,” the American reported.
Butler told the court that he wanted to tell his children to “always praise Jesus Christ our savior. Keep the faith, always remember I love you.”
In handing down the sentence, Justice Harold Stewart denied probation for Butler, arguing that it was unlikely that Butler would follow court orders, the American reported.
