Outrage over sentencing of Mass. teen accused of rape

A Massachusetts teenager charged with sexually assaulting two classmates at a house party last spring will serve two years of probation, despite calls from the district attorney’s office that he spend time in jail.

Palmer District Court Judge Thomas Estes gave David Becker, 18, of East Longmeadow, Mass., two years of probation and ordered him to remain drug and alcohol-free, and stay away from the victims, Mass Live reported. 

Becker, who is accused of using his finger to penetrate two classmates as they slept after a house party April 2, will not have to register as a sex offender, and the conviction will not appear on his record if he complies with probation.

Becker’s attorney Thomas Rooke praised the decision in court and noted that his client, who is a “three-sport athlete” can now look forward to the “college experience.”

"He can now look forward to a productive life without being burdened with the stigma of having to register as a sex offender," Rooke said in court, Mass Live reported.

On social media, many expressed outrage over the sentence and noted that Becker "does not deserve 'a normal life' for his actions."

Critics: Stanford's new alcohol ban won't prevent sexual assaults

Like in the case of former Stanford swimmer Brock Turner, who was convicted of sexually assaulting a woman in January 2015, and sentenced to six months in jail, the light sentence likely has an effect on victims, who may not feel it’s worth it to come forward, according to psychotherapist Robi Ludwig.

“Sexual abuse and rape is really one of the only crimes where the victim becomes suspect, and in some ways blamed more than any other crime,” Ludwig said.

Becker told police when one of the girls “didn’t protest,” he thought she was OK with the touching, ABC reported.

While there was witness in the Stanford case, in Becker’s situation the incident occurred in a room between him and two girls, making things increasingly murky, according to Ludwig.

“It tends to come down to, “he said, she said,” with rape,” Ludwig said. “And sometimes the woman doesn’t want to acknowledge she was raped or may blame herself.

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