CNA pleads guilty for planning sexual assault on residents with dementia

A former assisted living employee admitted he attempted to videotape the sexual assault of three female memory care residents.

Channing Butler, 26, pleaded guilty Monday to three counts of solicitation to commit aggravated criminal sexual assault on three different women, a class 1 felony punishable by four to 15 years in prison under the Illinois Compiled Statues.

Butler was arrested in January for allegedly asking three young men to engage in sexual attacks on three female residents at Bickford Senior Living, an assisted living and memory care facility in Champaign, Ill, in exchange for $60 each. Butler, who was then employed as a certified nursing assistant (CNA), then planned to videotape the events. He brought the men into the facility in the early morning when he was the only employee present.

Illinois Assistant State’s Attorney Matt Banach says the acts weren’t carried out on two women because they either pushed their attackers away or the men had difficulty performing the acts, The News-Gazette reports. Butler told police one of the men carried out a sex act with one of the women, who has since died. The women were 88, 90 and 95 and had profound memory impairment but were not physically disabled.

Police found photos on Butler’s cellphone and at least two messages discussing solicitation, payment and recording of sex acts with people over 70. They also found Google searches for terms involving sexual assault of the elderly, CNA rape and nursing home rape.

Butler worked for other area nursing homes as a CNA, but has no prior criminal convictions. His sentencing is scheduled for July 29. 

Nicole Stempak

Nicole was Senior Editor at I Advance Senior Care and Long Term Living Magazine 2015-2017. She has a Journalism degree from Kent State University and is finalizing a master’s degree in Information Architecture and Management. She has extensive studies in the digital user experience and in branding online media. She has worked as an editor and writer for various B2B publications, including Business Finance.