Plymouth County man sentenced to prison after series of child rapes and sexual assaults involving multiple children

Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz announced that a 23-year-old Brockton man was sentenced Wednesday to a minimum of 15 years in state prison after a jury convicted him earlier this month of multiple child rape charges.

Thomas Butler Jr. was found guilty on November 3 of three counts of rape of a child and nine counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 following a trial in Brockton Superior Court. He received a sentence of 15 to 19 years behind bars. Upon release, Butler will be placed on probation under strict conditions that include registering as a sex offender, completing a sex offender evaluation and any recommended treatment, maintaining no contact with the victims, avoiding unsupervised interactions with children under 16, and wearing a GPS monitoring bracelet. He is also prohibited from any employment or volunteer roles involving minors.

The case began in June 2022 when Brockton Police launched an investigation after one of Butler’s victims came forward, revealing a pattern of sexual assaults spanning several years and involving multiple children. During a July 2022 interview with detectives, Butler denied the allegations of ongoing abuse.

“I thank the victims and their families in this case for their courageous testimony and willingness to work with our office to ensure Thomas Butler cannot hurt more children in the future,” Cruz said. “The crimes Butler committed are beyond heinous, and I am proud of my staff for their efforts in prosecuting this defendant. Child abuse has no place in our community, and we will continue to work diligently in order to stop predators like Butler.”

The investigation was conducted by the Brockton Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Shanan Buckingham.