Ex-Stanford swimmer convicted of rape leaves jail after 3 months

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Brock Turner whose six-month sentence for raping an unconscious woman at Stanford University sparked national outcry has been released from jail after serving half his term.

The one-time Olympic hopeful swimmer walked out the main entrance of the Santa Clara County jail Friday shortly after 6 a.m. PDT. Turner, who did not comment to the media, got into a white SUV. He plans to head to his native Ohio to live with his parents. The 21-year-old must register as a sex offender for life and faces three years of supervised probation.

Turner’s case exploded into the spotlight when a poignant statement from the victim swept through social media and critics decried the sentence as too lenient. It prompted California lawmakers to pass a tougher sexual assault law and led to an effort to remove the judge from the bench.

Turner was convicted of assaulting the young woman near a trash bin after they drank heavily at a fraternity party in January 2015. He plans to appeal.

In the June sentencing, Santa Clara County Judge Aaron Persky cited the “extraordinary circumstances” of Turner’s youth, clean criminal record and other considerations. He followed the probation department’s recommendation for a “moderate” jail sentence.

Following backlash and a push for a recall, Persky voluntarily removed himself from hearing criminal cases, starting next week.

California jail inmates with good behavior typically serve half their sentences. Ohio prison officials earlier this month agreed to take over supervision of Turner’s probation.

Greene County Sheriff Gene Fischer said Turner has five days to register as a sex offender with his office in Xenia, Ohio, 15 miles east of Dayton. He will have to report to a probation officer for three years and must avoid alcohol and drugs during that time.

Fischer said his department will send postcards to Turner’s neighbors informing them that a convicted sex offender is moving in nearby. Turner will be required to register every three months in person at the sheriff’s office, reaffirming that he is still living with his parents, the sheriff said.

Deputies also will check on Turner periodically and without warning to ensure he has not moved out without permission from authorities.

Turner also is barred from parks, schools and other places where children are expected to gather.

“He will be treated no differently than any other sex offender we monitor,” Fischer said.

WHY DID THE CASE GENERATE SO MUCH ATTENTION?

Buzzfeed published the victim’s powerful statement that quickly circulated on social media. She read it before Turner’s June 2 sentencing, noting probation officials took into account his lost swimming career in its recommendation to the judge.

“How fast Brock swims does not lessen the severity of what happened to me, and should not lessen the severity of his punishment,” the victim said. “The fact that Brock was an athlete at a private university should not be seen as an entitlement to leniency, but as an opportunity to send a message that sexual assault is against the law regardless of social class.”

CNN anchor Ashleigh Banford read the entire 7,200-word statement on air and members of Congress took turns reading it aloud on the House floor. Vice President Joe Biden wrote a public letter to the victim saying, “I do not know your name — but your words are forever seared on my soul.” The woman has not spoken publicly.

The furor grew after letters surfaced that Turner’s family and friends wrote urging the judge to be lenient. Turner’s father lamented that his son’s life was ruined by “20 minutes of action” and his grandparents complained that “Brock is the only person being held accountable for the actions of other irresponsible adults.”

WHAT’S THE FALLOUT?

The California Assembly voted 66-0 Monday to make a prison sentence mandatory for the same crime Turner committed. Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown has not said whether he would sign it.

Judge Persky is facing a recall effort, with organizers saying they will begin collecting signatures in April to try to qualify the issue for the November 2017 ballot. A women’s advocacy group has filed a formal misconduct complaint with the state agency that disciplines judges.

He also has voluntarily removed himself from hearing criminal cases, starting next week. Prosecutors earlier removed from an unrelated sex assault case.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO REGISTER AS A SEX OFFENDER?

He must complete a sex-offender counseling class for one to three years. He cannot live near schools, parks and other places where children congregate. He will be barred from working with children in any capacity. He will be required to submit to random polygraph tests and waive patient-counselor confidentiality privileges. His name, photo and address will be publicly available on Ohio’s online sex offender registry. The local sheriff plans to send postcards to Turner’s neighbors informing them that a sex offender has moved in nearby. Turner has to check in with the sheriff every three months and is subject to random searches of his home. He must seek permission from law enforcement to travel out of state, lawyers say.

IS TURNER APPEALING HIS CONVICTION?

Turner’s trial lawyer indicated he would. Court records show Solomon Robert Wollack is representing Turner through the Sixth District Appellate Program, which provides court-appointed appeals attorneys to defendants who can’t afford them. Wollack said the appeals court has not yet received the trial record, “so we are still very early in the process at this time.” He declined further comment.