Ex-Oklahoma jail guards sentenced for forcing inmates to listen to ‘Baby Shark’ on repeat

Ex-Oklahoma jail guards sentenced for forcing inmates to listen to ‘Baby Shark’ on repeat

Two former Oklahoma jail guards were sentenced earlier this week for forcing inmates in to listen to “Baby Shark” on a loop as a form of punishment.

The Oklahoman reported on Tuesday that Gregory Cornell Butler Jr. and Christian Charles Miles were each fined $200 and placed on probation for two years after an investigation found that they mistreated a group of inmates by making them listen to children’s music, including the song “Baby Shark,” on a loop in 2019.

They were also ordered to complete 40 hours of community service and pay $300 in compensation for the victims.

One victim said, per the report, he had to listen to “Baby Shark” for two hours straight, according to an investigative report. Another said the “weird little song” was blaring and played “over and over and over again.”

Both guards resigned when the investigation began.

“It was unfortunate that I could not find a felony statute to fit this fact scenario,” Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater told The Associated Press. “I would have preferred filing a felony on this behavior.”

The discipline had at one point involved children’s music featuring Elmo, the popular Sesame Street character. Another guard admitted he suggested to Miles playing “Baby Shark.”

Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim.