STANFORD, Calif. - The father of a 20-year-old man who was convicted on multiple charges of sexual assault does not believe his son should go to prison for "20 minutes of action."
Last week, Brock Turner, a former swimmer at Stanford University, was sentenced to six months in county jail and probation for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman, the Guardian reports.
Turner was spotted sexually assaulting the young woman behind a dumpster outside of a Stanford University fraternity house.
Two students biking in the area spotted the assault and held Turner down until authorities could arrive.
After Turner was found guilty on three felony counts, including assault with intent to commit rape of an intoxicated/unconscious person, penetration of an intoxicated person and penetration of an unconscious person, he faced a maximum of 14 years in prison.
Turner's father called on the judge to be lenient in his sentencing, saying that his son had already paid "a steep price ... for 20 minutes of action."
Prosecutors asked the judge to sentence Turner to six years in a state prison, the Guardian reports.
However, the judge only sentenced Turner to six months in county jail because he feared a longer sentence would have a "severe impact" on the 20-year-old.
“A prison sentence would have a severe impact on him,” said the judge. “I think he will not be a danger to others.”
The judge's decision sparked outrage across social media, especially after BuzzFeed released the victim's 12-page impact statement, which quickly went viral.
(Read the full statement here)
The local district attorney expressed disappointment in the lenient sentencing saying, "the punishment does not fit the crime."
“The predatory offender has failed to take responsibility, failed to show remorse and failed to tell the truth. The sentence does not factor in the true seriousness of this sexual assault, or the victim’s ongoing trauma," District Attorney Jeff Rossen said. "Campus rape is no different than off-campus rape. Rape is rape. And I will prosecute it as such."
Those outraged by the judge's ruling have signed a Change.org petition, asking for the judge to be recalled from his judicial position.