A Cloverdale man is facing up to five years in prison after being convicted of showing a teenager a pornographic film, telling her she can make money by doing pornographic movies and performing a sexual act on her.
Jeramey A. Butler was convicted by jury trial this week of child seduction and dissemination of materials harmful to a minor, both level 6 felonies, from an incident that happened in a Greenwood home in December 2016.
The verdict was delivered inside Johnson County Circuit Court on Wednesday after a jury deliberated for about an hour. The trial had started on Tuesday.
Prosecutors said Butler, then 35, showed a 17-year-old a video on a pornographic website, told her she could make money if she did pornographic movies and then performed a sexual act on her. He was arrested in September 2017 and had bonded out of jail while awaiting trial.
Defense attorney Terry Tolliver argued that Butler turned over his cell phone voluntarily to police and that multiple people had access to the cell phone, which had been used to access the pornographic website.
His attorneys also argued that if a pornographic website came up, it was a pop up advertisement and was not him trying to show the teen a video.
Butler also maintained his innocence throughout the case and attempted to speak to Greenwood detectives immediately, Tolliver said.
Johnson County deputy prosecutor Courtney Curtis argued that a detailed, specific search in the cell phone was found that meant that Butler had searched for a specific pornographic video to show the teen. Other searches in the cell phone’s web browser, especially related to Butler’s employment, proved that Butler had searched for a video to show the teen, Curtis said.
DNA evidence also proved that Butler had performed the sex act on the teen, Curtis said. Butler’s attorneys argued that his DNA was found due to a medical condition.
Butler’s sentencing is set for June 10. His bond was revoked and he was arrested after the verdict.
Butler faces up to five years in prison at his sentencing. Each felony carries a penalty of six months to two and a half years in prison.
