La Pine man sentenced to 200 more years in prison
for child sex crimes
Published 9:47 am Sunday, December 14, 2025
By Noemi Arellano-Summer
‘I hope only the worst for you’ said one victim. A La Pine man was sentenced Thursday in Deschutes County Circuit Court to 200 years in prison for child sex abuse charges.
Rusty Pugh, 54, pled guilty to 31 counts of child sex abuse charges, including first-degree child sexual abuse, first-degree sodomy, using a child in display of sexually explicit content and unlawful sexual penetration.
Pugh had already convicted of abusing eight children for more than a decade from 2003-2014. He was sentenced to 91 years in prison in 2022 for charges relating to three of the children, though that conviction was overturned due to an issue with a juror. This sentencing related to numerous charges for crimes committed against several other children.
The state requested consecutive sentences that add up to 200 years, while the defense asked for one 25-year sentence. The 200-year sentence was granted by judge Alycia Sykora, along with nearly 32 years in prison that will run concurrently.
Prosecutor Stacy Neil detailed the facts of the case, including descriptions of at least 10 videos with victims forced to perform sexual acts with Pugh. One victim was between the ages of six and nine when the abuse occurred, she said. Another victim was “extremely emotionally distressed” and refused to discuss the abuse with officials.
“I’ve never run across more a more prolific offender than Mr. Pugh,” said Neil. “We have put these victims through years of having to fight for people to believe them.”
Multiple victims spoke in court, reiterating that Pugh needs be locked away for life. The Bulletin does not identify victims of sexual abuse.
“This is something that I have had to live with since I was a child and it has been very difficult,” said one victim. “It comes into my mind fairly often and it has definitely impacted my life, and the fact that this has dragged on for so many years has made it worse because I just want it to be over. He deserves to be put away forever.”
One victim spoke through tears. She said the abuse has consumed her life and that Pugh needed to be in prison for a long time. Pugh, clad in a gray Deschutes County Jail shirt, did not look at her while she spoke. He stared ahead throughout the hearing, occasionally shifting in his chair.
The defense called witnesses who had evaluated Pugh and spoke both to his difficult past and his own experiences of sexual abuse, but also reiterated that Pugh continues to have a sexual interest in pre-pubescent children.
“My position is to consider all evidence in sentencing, whether it’s aggravating or mitigating. You’re sentencing a whole person,” said defense lawyer Michael Curtis. There are additional charges that Pugh has not yet put in a plea for. Another hearing date was set for January.
One of his victims spoke directly to Pugh Thursday. “I hope only the worst for you,” she said.
Pediatrician who claimed 'demonic entities' made victims lie about him gets 30-year sentence for 'bold and brazen' sex abuse
Ernesto Cesar Torres, 74, was convicted of sexually abusing an 11-year-old patient and prosecutors say dozens more victims have come forward
A former Maryland pediatrician who claimed "demonic entities" were making his young patients lie about him has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for sexually abusing an 11-year-old girl.
Ernesto Cesar Torres, 74, was found guilty in March of sexual abuse of a minor and three counts of third-degree sex offense, CBS News reported. He was sentenced to 30 years on Monday, Dec. 8, and "received credit for the 2,087 days already served," according to a press release from the Frederick County State's Attorney's Office.
Police were alerted in May 2019 after the girl's mother reported that her child had been sexually abused during a pediatric exam in Torres' office, the release states. The mother had brought her child to the doctor for a mild skin condition, and the child later told her that he “made her uncomfortable by placing his hand down her pants and touching her 'down there,'" per the release.
The girl also said Torres rubbed her stomach and kissed her, according to prosecutors, who claim the family changed pediatricians after the girl reported feeling uncomfortable.
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Victim’s family breaks silence as Oklahoma teen in violent sex assault case avoids prison time: report
Families in Stillwater, Oklahoma, say they are still searching for justice after Jesse Mack Butler, an 18-year-old accused of a series of violent sexual assaults, avoided prison time — a decision that has fueled protests and calls for legal reform and renewed outrage from victims’ families.
Butler, who was 16 and 17 at the time, pleaded no contest earlier this year to 11 felony charges, including attempted rape, rape by instrumentation, sexual battery, forcible oral sodomy, domestic assault by strangulation and violating a protective order.
He faced up to 78 years in prison but was instead granted youthful offender status, allowing him to remain free under supervision with counseling, community service and a curfew.
In an interview with Juju Chang of "Nightline," previewed this week on "Good Morning America," the parents of one of the victims spoke publicly for the first time about the emotional fallout and why they believe the court’s decision failed their daughter.
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The victim’s mother, Ivonne, said her daughter, identified as Kate, has struggled since the assaults.
"Community service and counseling doesn’t equate to what he did to her — what he’s taken from her," she told Chang.
Kate’s father, Austin, said the family hopes speaking out will protect others. "[I'm] just hoping that his name will be out there. That somebody will know that he’s capable of this and just anything we can do to prevent other harm."
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Kate was 16 when she began dating Butler, her first boyfriend. Her parents said he initially seemed polite and attentive before they noticed concerning changes in her daughter’s behavior. She is now completing her senior year online and has withdrawn from key milestones, including prom and graduation.
Court documents obtained by Fox News detailed the severity of the accusations, including allegations that Butler strangled victims, threatened them and left one teen "near death." One victim wrote that Butler had "strangled my voice, my joy, my ability to feel safe in my own body." Police affidavits described repeated assaults, forced sexual acts and threats of violence if the victims spoke out.
Outrage intensified as those details became public.
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During a Dec. 8 compliance hearing on Butler’s supervision agreement, protesters again lined the Payne County Courthouse. According to KJRH, demonstrators voiced frustration with sealed records, and victims’ advocates allowed to speak in court argued that keeping certain documents under seal appeared to protect Butler rather than promote transparency.
The review hearing focused on whether Butler was complying with his probation terms, which include daily calls and weekly visits with the Office of Juvenile Affairs, therapy and community service.
One protester told KJRH, "Rape is rape, violence is violence, and it needs to end and so does systematic corruption." Advocates questioned how therapy would benefit Butler when he has never admitted wrongdoing.
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At the hearing, a judge agreed to unseal some of Butler’s records, a move supporters of the victims said would help provide more clarity about the case.
Payne County District Attorney Laura Austin Thomas issued a detailed statement to The Oklahoman more than a month after sentencing, explaining why prosecutors initially filed the case in adult court, a move she said was intended to keep the allegations public, since juvenile cases in Oklahoma are typically confidential.
Thomas said state law strongly favors rehabilitation when defendants are under 18 at the time of the alleged crimes and noted that only two of the 11 charges legally qualified for adult prosecution. She said families were told early on that a youthful-offender sentence was the likely outcome.
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According to the DA’s statement, also reported by The Oklahoman, Butler must complete an "aggressive schedule of therapy" with a specialist. If he fails to comply, he could be reclassified as an adult and face up to 10 years in prison.
The Oklahoman also reported that some critics questioned whether Butler’s local ties, including his father’s past role with Oklahoma State University’s football program, influenced the outcome. The judge who granted youthful-offender status also earned two degrees from OSU. No evidence has been presented that those connections affected the ruling, but they remain part of the public debate.
In the "Nightline" interview, the family’s attorney, Rachel Bussett, said she believed incarceration was warranted.
"There should have been a period of incarceration and an admission of guilt," she said.
Bussett has filed a motion alleging Kate’s rights were violated during the plea and sentencing proceedings.
Ivonne said she hopes her daughter will eventually move forward.
"I hope that she tries to date again; right now she’s been too scared," she said. Asked whether the ordeal shattered her daughter’s trust, she added, "Yeah… I hope she’ll try again because love shouldn’t hurt."
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