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Man Allegedly Assaults Underage Girl At Walmart
August 10, 2010
An Escambia County man was arrested Sunday night at a Pensacola Walmart after being held at gunpoint by the father of an underage girl he allegedly groped.
William Burten Butler, 29, of Pensacola, was charged with battery and lewd and lacivious behavior following the incident.
An Escambia County Sheriff’s Office deputy, already at the Walmart on an unrelated case, was approached by a customer and advised of a fight in the parking lot. The deputy learned that the juvenile’s father, Richard Ferrand, 41, had witnessed Butler approach his juvenile daughter and ask for her phone number. Ferrand approached Butler and asked him to leave her alone, according to deputies.
Ferrand continued to keep close watch over his daughter and two of her friends, also juveniles, when he saw Butler walk into the women’s restroom that his daughter was using. Ferrand, concerned for his daughter’s safety, also entered the restroom. He noticed that while his daughter was attempting to leave Butler followed and slid his hand under the back of her shirt.
Ferrand followed Butler and asked a cashier to call the Sheriff’s Office. He also dialed 911 on his cell phone. Once in the parking lot Butler became aggressive towards Ferrand. Ferrand, fearing for his safety, withdrew a handgun from his waist and held Butler until the deputy arrived. Ferrand was in possession of a concealed carry permit at the time of the incident, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Butler remains in the Escambia County Jail on $70,000 bond.
The incident occurred at the Walmart on Blue Angel Parkway.
Comments
38 Responses to “Man Allegedly Assaults Underage Girl At Walmart”
Way to go Mr Ferrand! This sickens me! And this happened only 15 minutes from where I live. 15 minutes to the Walmart on Hwy29 Ensley too! My husband and I are parents to a baby girl and I can’t even imagine this happening to her at any point in her life! I applaud the father for keeping the little girls safe and standing up to this man! If not, he would still be out there doing the same thing over and over again! Let his ass rot in that jail cell! The gun topic: Do whatever you need to do to keep yourself and your family safe! We have 2 guns but don’t have our concealed weapons permits yet. But I will be putting that into action very soon because of this! I want to be able to keep myself and my family safe even when my husband isn’t there to keep us safe! Ladies, don’t be scared, it’s for your own protection! And to think, Obama wants to take away our guns! Screw that!
This is a perfect example of why RESPONSABLE people should have a concealed weapons permit.What would have happened if he didn’t have a gun,the freak might have gotten away(I’m sure the dad would have punched the tard in the face)I say someone buy that father a brewskie, for showing more restraint than I (a father of 3 daughter’s) would have!! That guy is the type of person that there is no reabilation for. Way to go dad!!
Mr. Ferrand, I feel you did right by not shooting him! I am 70 years old and live in Leesville, Louisiana and have two grandaughter’s. i have lived here for 33 years and now just in 5 mile’s. We have about 250-300 of these people livening here! I don,t think i would have done the same!
REGARDING:
“He went to prison and served whatever time and did it do him any justice? Did he come out a better man? No, because that is not the goal of prison. Prison hides the “undesirables”. Those that we, the supposed “good” people who think others should be shot dead, do not want to deal with. I am not excusing any behavior and I think that he should be punished for a crime committed but Pensacola, WAKE UP…he is a product of our city, a product of our county”
There was an idea that took the country by storm a while back that prisons should be places for people to repent of their sins and then rejoin humanity. Visionaries renamed the prisons “penitentiaries,” meaning places to repent. They–we–tried all kinds of ways to use it to reform the individual. (Prisons for children are called Reform Schools for that reason)
The problem was that NONE of them worked. People decide how to be. We can’t change them. Parole boards considered themselves successful if half of the people they released early were not rearrested for a rape or murder within six months–with no consideration of how many crimes they actually committed.
Folks tired of such a “success” rate. They noticed that criminals in prison did not prey upon the weak, helpless and unsuspecting. They noticed that some ninety percent of all crime was committed by maybe ten percent of convicts. Society decided to be harsher on repeat offenders because that protected people better.
Criminals are not a product of our society or we would all be criminals. They decide to be criminals.
It isn’t Pensacola’s fault.
David for personal responsibility
William Butler Jr. (yes, he is named aftr his dad) has been a very troubled boy from the word go! I remember watching him steal a cooler off of someone’s front porch in the afternoon. He grew up and and still lives off of Gulf Beach Hwy in Pleasent Grove. They were trash when they lived by me and I for one think the lord they do not live by me anymore! I also am not surprised by the prison term!.
also the guy showed good restraint by not knocking him in head or by shooting him he just held him there if it was my daughter i probably would have at least shot him in kneecap or a little north just to let him him knowthat i meant business but everybody doesnt need a gun
E1 some of us still know where our kids are mine are @ home with me right this second. good people are having to get permits for things like this until this happened u didnt know anybody would be in store with their gun buying racheal ray i hope nothing happens to u or family but if it does u might be hoping that guy is near u. as for me my only hope is that my kids friends parents would take care of them & not go partying with them.
Firstly, I agree that the acts of Mr. Butler were heinous, disrespectful and offensive; however I am completely perplexed by the attitude that many people on this forum have towards the use of guns. Shoot him? Better off dead? Lock him away for life? If math serves me correctly, his first offence was in 1999 and that would have made him 18 years old. He went to prison and served whatever time and did it do him any justice? Did he come out a better man? No, because that is not the goal of prison. Prison hides the “undesirables”. Those that we, the supposed “good” people who think others should be shot dead, do not want to deal with. I am not excusing any behavior and I think that he should be punished for a crime committed but Pensacola, WAKE UP…he is a product of our city, a product of our county…do not cast stones because while you are busy typing this, where is your kid? And don’t give me some high and mighty answer that you know what your kid is doing because you don’t! All I am saying is, you do not combat violence or violation with statements condoning the same behavior that you are condemning. On a side note, Quick Draw at Wal-Mart had a gun whether or not this event would have ever happened and that makes me nervous because while he didn’t fire the gun, it is scary to think that the guy next to you could shoot you dead while you buy your Rachel Ray frying pan set. You know you have it.
So reassuring to see a Dad step up to the plate and be the man he is supposed to be. Way to protect your daughter and her friends! Thanks for being so aware
Way to go, Mr. Ferrand! I believe my dad would have done the same thing. No, my dad would have tied him up into a thousand knots before the police got there. My dad has a background in hand-to-hand combat!
just trash. no reason for a trial sentence him to death dont just let him live out the rest of his days in the air and having three square meals aday.
You know, a LOT of parents either drop their kids off at the mall or walmart..and other places for them to spend the afternoons…usually UNsupervised (and some of these kids are that, just young kids, mostly girls). I know parents think this is a safe place for their kids to “hang out”, but I hope after reading this, they learn to say NO! You never know what happens after you drop them off, where they will go, who they will talk to, who will follow them etc etc etc, it’s to horrific to even think about. My kids usually hung out at a friends house with a parent there or they came to our house. We also took turns taking them to the beach and movies etc…eventhough we sat away and pretended not to know them, we as parents were there to watch and keep an eye on them. I hope if they have read this, they will appreciate what we did, because our kids came home at night. We haven’t had to sit up and wonder if our kids were coming home at all. This is a horrible world we live in now with all of the sexual predators out there preyeing on our kids, BOYS AND GIRLS!!!! Kids, don’t hate your parents for keeping tabs on you, it’s idiots like this that we are afraid of!
Well done for Mr Ferrand for his self control in a highly emotional situation. But thanks to him our children are safer with one less pervert out on the streets.
I hope your daughter will be alright after such an ordeal. GOD bless!
I’m glad that this dad was present. Things not only happen at Walmart, But everywhere. About 4 years ago, I was at the Goodwill store in Brewton. When I came out, I had 2 friends with me. A man was sitting in a red SUV next to my car. I said hey as I passed. He motioned for me to come closer and speak. I walked a little closer to see what he wanted. He had his pants and underware down to his knees and was masterbating in the parking lot. He kept asking me and my friends to come to him. We actually ran to the Chinese restaurant next to Jalisco’s and called 911. The police didn’t find him. We didn’t get the tag number but gave a good description of the vehicle and the man. What if I had been alone or if he had been watching for a child or something. I looked at the sexual predators online and found one that I thought was him. I couldn’t swear to it though. Anyway, the sexual predator had an address listed which was the motel next to AutoZone. These predators need to be checked out more thoroughly and supervised with nonstop supervision. I’ve never forgotten this person and the fear that was instilled into my thoughts wherever I go. I’m a grown woman and this scared the hell out of me.
Let me get it right, William Burten Butler Junior
http://www.dc.state.fl.us/InmateReleases/detail.asp?Bookmark=2&From=list&SessionID=45798260
He’s listed as having a number of aliases, but he’s the one born December 27, 1980.
http://www.escambiaclerk.com/xml/xml_search.asp?ulname=Butler&ufname=William+&ucasetype2=&ucase=&ucit=&ufromdate=&daterange=0&ucasetype=&uagencynbr=&uagencytype=
Again, don’t worry about the other William Butlers, they are likely related but not the same.
David distinguishing
among Burtens, Burtons and Butlers
REGARDING:
“It appears Mr Burten has been a busy boy…
http://www.escambiaclerk.com/”
That was more than one Burten. I figured it out when I realized otherwise he was committing crimes as a one year old.
But, yep, ill behaved. Would have done worse had he not been sentenced to three years in prison for his 1999 actions. He probably missed his old boyfriends.
REGARDING:
“. . . after being held at gunpoint by the father of an underage girl he allegedly groped.”
And this is the first half of the proper use of a gun.
The 2nd Amendment in action!! Good going! These are the stories you never read or hear about in some news media. They only report the bad things that happen with guns, such as the Connecticut shooting. I Don’t fault them for reporting the news, but I do fault them on selective reporting. Yes, people sometimes use guns to do bad things, but a LOT more people use them for self-protection, or in this case, the protection of a family member. Good for Mr. Ferrand, I salute you, sir!
Please make sure that you get the name right “jimmy carter” his last name is Butler not Burton. You could be making accusations about someone else and have their lives turned upside down. Thank YOu
Good for the Dad, but had it been me and he put his hands on my daughter I would have went one step further and shot him because the next little girl might not have her Dad around. And I bet you there will be another girl down the road.
$70,000 bond? This guy should be Under the jail.
Good job Dad! This Burton guy is local and has been commiting felonies since 1999. Lock him up!
This is precisely why we need to allow honest and law-abiding citizens to own and carry a gun. Pervs, thieves, and killers aren’t likely to challenge anyone while while staring down the barrel of a loaded gun. Well done Mr. Ferrand.
This marvelous specimen of humanity has been a guest of the State of Florida before. Check out
http://www.dc.state.fl.us/
which Pensacola Wal-Mart? I realize we all need to be extra vigilant (and GREAT job, Dad!!!) regardless; but the Ensley WM on 29 has had a LOT of problems with the criminial element lately. I always carry (with my permit) when I have to go to WM!
It appears Mr Burten has been a busy boy…
http://www.escambiaclerk.com/
People always asked me if I was ever afraid while hiking the Appalachian Trail.I would tell them they are in more danger in Wal-Marts parking lot.Seems I proved that right!
What a GREAT dad!!!
Took another look at his picture. IQ ?
That’s a Dad and a Man. Proud of you.
I thinks it’s about time WE all start carrying a concealed weapon (with permit) with us because THEY (bad guys) have left us NO choice
Good going Mr. Ferrand, So glad to know that this father paid close attention to his child; there is no telling what would or could have happened, if this dad wouldn’t have been there paying attention to her and her friends…
He followed her into the womens restroom? Where was Walmart’s security?? I would consider this man to be a sexual predator if he has the nerve to enter into a public womens restroom.
Now that’s a dad!!!
Butler must not be from around here. He’s lucky that the Dad didn’t just wing him to really teach a lesson. Mr Ferrand is really smart to let the law handle it though, no telling what would have happened otherwise.
Good Job Get The Pervert’s Off The Street’s
I get the feeling his name will be seen here again someday….never know when you will meet a pistol packin papa…ba careful yall
good for mr. ferrand, there’s no telling what might have happened to those girls.