Accused Rapist Sentenced to No Jail Time So He Can Have a 'College Experience'

By Kate Irby, The Charlotte Observer

23 August 16

David Becker was only sentenced to two years probation for charges of rape in a Massachusetts court.

is nickname in high school was “David the Rapist,” according to one of his victims.

Two seniors at a Massachusetts high school told police they were at a party with David Becker, 18, in April when they went upstairs to a bedroom and talked to Becker until they fell asleep. They said they woke up to Becker sexually assaulting them, and he apologized to one of the victims in a text message the next day, saying “Sorry, it’s my fault.”

The victim responded with a text telling Becker “don’t even worry about it,” but later told police that she said this because “she did not know what else to say.”

Becker said he had no sexual contact with one of the women, and said he thought his assault of the second woman was fine because she didn’t stop him. There was no evidence of previous sexual assaults.

But after a judge in Palmer decided last week to continue the case without a finding for two years, on Monday Becker was sentenced to only two years probation, according to MassLive. Additionally, he’s being allowed to serve the probation in Ohio, where he plans to attend college.

“He can now look forward to a productive life without being burdened with the stigma of having to register as a sex offender,” said attorney Thomas Rooke, who represented Becker in court. “The goal of this sentence was not to impede this individual from graduating high school and to go onto the next step of his life, which is a college experience.”

No conviction will appear on Becker’s record if he serves his probation without issue. His probation mandates he remain drug- and alcohol-free, submit to an evaluation for sex offender treatment and stay away from the two 18-year old victims.

“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,” Rooke said. “Putting this kid in jail for two years would have destroyed this kid’s life.”

The prosecutor for Becker recommended he be found guilty of the charges of two counts of indecent assault and battery and serve two years in jail. One of the victims reportedly said in a statement that she didn’t think jail time for Becker was necessary.

Becker is a three-sport athlete at East Longmeadow High School.

“Labeling him ‘David the Rapist’ is truly an unjust character assassination of what this individual has accomplished in the past,” Rooke said.

Becker is the latest in a string of similar stories of young men accused of sexually assaulting women but receiving lenient sentences. The most famous was Brock Turner, a former Stanford swimmer found guilty of sexually assaulting an unconscious young woman. He was sentenced to six months in jail and actually only served three months, as he is scheduled to be released on Sept. 2.

Austin Wilkerson, a former student at the University of Colorado, confessed to sexually assaulting an unconscious woman who had previously rejected him. He was sentenced to two years in jail but is permitted to leave to attend work or school. He will also be on probation for 20 years.

John Enochs, a former student at Indiana University, was originally accused of sexually assaulting two women at a fraternity house. He plead guilty to misdemeanor battery and is serving one year’s probation.

In U.S. district courts, women make up 33 percent of active judges, according to the National Women’s Law Center.