Man pleads guilty to lesser charge after Charleston parking garage assault

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – A man accused of sexually assaulting a woman in a downtown parking garage was sentenced for a lesser charge in a Charleston County courtroom Thursday.

The sentencing stems from an incident that occurred on July 14, 2022. Prosecutors say the victim was visiting the Brick on Ann Street in Charleston when she saw an acquaintance, Cameron Butler. The two hung out at the establishment for a while, and state prosecutors say the victim is estimated to have had six drinks that night.

The female victim had a preexisting condition that intensified the effects of alcohol.

Prosecutors also said that initially, Butler was seen by witnesses and on surveillance footage helping the victim get home as she was visibly intoxicated. Footage played for the judge shows that she fell as the two made their way to the Visitors Center Parking Garage elevator.

As soon as the pair were in the elevator, the assault began. One minute into the time in the elevator, the victim falls and tries to get back up but cannot. Butler then continues to assault her while she is on the floor, according to the parties in the courtroom.

Four minutes into the assault, prosecutors said Butler was seen pulling out his phone to record and asking the victim for consent. He continues to record the assault on Snapchat.

A passerby noticed what was happening and called the police, reporting a “sexual assault in progress.” Butler was taken into custody and booked on three counts of criminal sexual conduct. The victim was taken to the Medical University of South Carolina.

He spent 22 days in jail initially before being released. Once released, Butler spent 38 months on house arrest with no offenses other than the ankle monitor going dead once.

A year after the assault occurred, the victim committed suicide. In the courtroom Thursday morning, the victim’s ex-husband spoke, saying she was never the same after the incident in the elevator.

Butler’s brother also spoke and apologized to the victim’s ex-husband. He said he hopes the situation changes Butler.

Judge Roger Young called this case ‘a display of the evils of alcohol’ and said the footage he reviewed of the incident was ‘disturbing on several levels.’ The footage was not shown in the courtroom.

State prosecutors agreed to let Butler plead guilty to one count of assault and battery in the first. When asked why they agreed, Prosecutor Lauren Frierson said the victim agreed to the plea before her passing on the basis that she would not have to testify in court.

Judge Young allowed the guilty plea and sentenced Butler to ten years suspended to four years of active time. Butler must also serve two years of probation. Judge Young gave him credit for the time spent on house arrest, which will go towards his sentence.