Victim Breaks Down During Trial Of Ex-Salem Police Officer

SALEM, MA -- The 29-year-old Cape Cod man who accused Brian Butler of sexually assaulting him broke down during the former Salem Police officer's trial Friday. The man became emotionally distraught after surveillance video of his interactions with Butler while being held in the Salem Police station on Halloween morning in 2016 were shown to the jury. Attorneys for Butler, who is the estranged husband of Salem police Chief Mary Butler, maintain that the sex was consensual.

According to the Salem News, which first reported this story, the man had trouble recalling details and the sequence of events during testimony Friday. During a recess to allow the victim to gain his composure, prosecutors told the judge they would not play another video that depicted the actual sex act.

For more on this story, see the Salem News. Subscribe to Salem Patch for more local news and real-time alerts.

Patch file photo.