The who avoided prison time after being convicted of raping a drunk woman in 2014 has drawn comparisons to the outrage sparked earlier this year when Brock Turner, a former Stanford University swimmer, was sentenced to six months in jail after being convicted of raping an unconscious woman.
Austin James Wilkerson, 22, was sentenced Wednesday by Boulder District Judge Patrick Butler to two years of work or school release and 20 years to life on probation at a hearing. Wilkerson was booked into the Boulder County Jail later that day, where he will spend his nights while he goes to school or works during the day.
Wilkerson was convicted earlier this year of sexual assault and misdemeanor unlawful sexual contact. On March 15, 2014, Wilkerson sexually assaulted a female student after she had too much to drink at a St. Patrick’s Day party after telling her friends he would take care of her.
Although the victim and prosecutors asked for prison time, Butler opted to sentence Wilkerson to probation and jail time. Similarly California prosecutors had asked that Turner be sentenced to six years in prison.
The sentence immediately sparked outrage on social media from people both in Boulder and around the country. The story has also gained attention on national media sites, with The Guardian, The Huffington Post, and Newser all picking up the story.
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