The Cut
8.26.16 |
Back in April, David Becker, then a senior at East Longmeadow High School in Massachusetts, was accused of sexually assaulting two classmates while they were unconscious. According to court documents, he was arraigned in Palmer District Court on two counts of rape and one count of indecent assault and battery on a person older than 14. Based on evidence, Hampden County Assistant District Attorney Eileen Sears reportedly recommended Becker be found guilty of two counts of indecent assault and battery and serve two years in prison. But on Monday, he was sentenced to two years of probation.
Thomas Rooke, who defended the 18-year-old Becker in court, was pleased with the ruling. “We all made mistakes when we were 17, 18, 19 years old, and we shouldn’t be branded for life with a felony offense and branded a sex offender,” he said. “Putting this kid in jail for two years would have destroyed this kid’s life.”
According to the terms of probation, Becker has to remain “drug and alcohol-free” for two years, and he’ll have to submit an evaluation for sex-offender treatment. He also has to stay away from the two 18-year-old girls he assaulted after a party. As long as he meets those terms, he won’t have to register as a sex offender, and the conviction won’t appear on his record.
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