Father of Convicted Swimmer Blames '20 Minutes of Action'

PALO ALTO, Calif. - The father of a former Stanford swimmer - who received a six-month county jail sentence after being convicted of sexually assaulting a woman on campus - pled with the court for leniency in his son's case, writing that imprisonment "...would be a steep price to pay for 20 minutes of action out of his 20 plus years of life."

Brock Allen Turner was convicted in March of three felony counts: rape of an unconscious person, digital penetration with an unconscious person and assault with the intent to commit rape.

The Guardian reports the Santa Clara County Judge Aaron Perksy noted Turner’s age and lack of criminal history as factors in his six-month sentencing decision, saying, “A prison sentence would have a severe impact on him … I think he will not be a danger to others.”

Turner could have received a maximum 10-year prison sentence, according to prosecutors.

A letter written to the Court by Dan Turner, the father of the swimmer, was posted on Twitter Sunday morning by Michele Dauber, a Stanford law professor and sociologist who led the school’s revision of its sexual assault policies in recent years.

Slate Magazine notes that the letter appears to have been written prior to Brock’s sentencing.

Here's the letter posted in the tweet below:

Some who opposed the sentence organized an online petition calling for the removal of Persky.

Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeffrey R. Rosen issued a statement saying that while he disagrees with the sentence, he does not believe Persky should be removed from his judgeship.

"While I strongly disagree with the sentence that Judge Persky issued in the Brock Turner case I do not believe he should be removed from his judgeship," Rosen said. "I am so pleased that the victim's powerful and true statements about the devastation of campus sexual assault are being heard across our nation. She has given voice to thousands of sexual assault survivors."

On Sunday, Patch provided a link to an incredibly powerful letter the 23-year-old victim read before the court - and Brock Allen Turner - before he was sentenced.

Also on Patch: Stanford Woman to Attacker: 'I Don't Want My Body Anymore'

Stanford University also issued a statement regarding the case, saying the university did "everything within its power to assure that justice was served."

Turner will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

-image via Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office

Bay City News contributed to this report