Judge assailed after giving probation for sexual assault

The case of a former East Longmeadow High School star athlete sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting two classmates has advocates drawing parallels with that of former Stanford University swimmer Brock Turner, who got just six months in jail for a sexual assault conviction.

David Becker, 18, was charged with rape and indecent assault and battery on a person over 14 but pleaded guilty last week to indecent assault and battery. His case was continued without a finding for two years by Palmer District Court Judge Thomas Estes, which means if Becker successfully completes a two-year probationary period, the charges will be dismissed and he won’t have to register as a sex offender.

An online petition listing nearly 6,000 signers is now calling for Estes to be removed. Karin Roland, of the women’s advocacy group UltraViolet, yesterday called Becker and Turner “privileged white athletes” who could afford good lawyers. She said the judges put their interests above those of their victims and ignored prosecutors’ sentencing recommendations. The decision undermines public faith in the courts, said Nita Chaudhary, UltraViolet’s co-founder.

Prosecutors, who said Becker assaulted two unconscious 18-year-old women at an alcohol-fueled party in April, recommended two years in jail.

“(The) recommendation of jail time was deemed appropriate and fair based on the facts and circumstances of the case,” James Leydon, a spokesman for Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni, said via email. One of the women submitted a victim impact statement in which she said she did not think jail time was necessary, Leydon said.