The father of a Stanford University student convicted of sexual assault has sparked outrage on social media by saying his son should not have been jailed for “20 minutes of action”.
Brock Turner, 20, was sentenced to six months in jail for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman last year.
The victim’s impact statement, which was read out in court, was also widely shared on social media.
The judge expressed concern about the impact of prison on Turner.
Prosecutors said that in January 2015, Turner had been seen by two witnesses sexually assaulting the woman, who was lying on the ground, unconscious, on the Stanford campus.
They said Turner had tried to run away when challenged by the witnesses, but the pair had tackled him and held him until police officers arrived.
A former top swimmer at the university, Turner was found guilty in March of three felony charges. Prosecutors wanted a sentence of six years in state prison for him,the Mercury News reported.
His sentencing, to six months and probation, also required him to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
In an excerpt of a statement to the court before the sentencing, Brock’s father, Dan, said his son’s life had been “deeply altered forever”.
