Young Man is Saved From Handicap of Guilt by Understanding Judge

[backyard sylph]

Perhaps channeling the wayward spirit of Josh Duggar, this young man digitally assaulted sleeping girls and has now received probation so he can attend college and not have his life ruined by being labeled a sex offender. We are not informed how the victims' lives are going. Comments, of course, suggest they were asking for it by going to sleep after drinking too much.

http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2016/08/do_not_publish_becker_sex_assa.html

I agree on the most general level that the sex offender registry has problems which should be dealt with. There are cases in which it should be used, but not as a life sentence. But this slap on the wrist strikes me as a much too lenient way to avoid it altogether.

[Mercer]

If you don't want to deal with the hardship of being treated as a sex offender, don't sexually assault people.

[backyard sylph]

That seems like a basic concept, doesn't it?

What is this teaching young people? Nothing good, a couple things bad.

[FundieFarmer]

I feel like there's hardly any discipline anymore in the court system, but I know that's not reasonable because I know we're really only hearing about the idiots who go free. Still, this is really frustrating. Who are these judges?!

[doggie]

only thing I saw that gives him a little leeway is one of the girls said he did not deserve jail.  that does not mean he does not deserve to suffer for it and be labeled for what he did.

[backyard sylph]

The other one disagreed. But that's not how we do justice, for better and for worse.

It's probably he's not going to be a serial assaulter. But if we aren't held responsible for our actions, we don't learn much from them.

He lost his scholarship and place at the school, yet I feel he does need more education. I'd make him work for it, and maybe he'd learn from being a small fish in a big pond, where he won't be treated as a special cupcake because he played three sports in high school.

[unsafetydancer]

Stuff like this makes me sick. Not having any sort of consequence is what makes dickwads like this think their actions are ok.